


Anemia

by JaqRabbit



Category: One Piece
Genre: Dark Fantasy, F/M, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-05-11 23:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5645359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaqRabbit/pseuds/JaqRabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>::(Anemia):: Caused by either a decrease in production of red blood cells or hemoglobin, or an increase in loss (usually due to bleeding) or destruction of red blood cells.  Some patients with anemia have no symptoms. </p><p>Those that do have symptoms may feel tired, become easily fatigued, appear pale, have a feeling of a heart racing, feel short of breath, and/or have worsening heart problems.</p><p>The treatment of the anemia varies greatly and very much depends on the particular cause.  This one was a bit...unconventional.</p><p>(Vampire!Law x Reader)</p><p>**Slow Build**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

"Bears? There are bears living all the way out here?" You asked with wide eyes, fingers digging into the coach's cushion seats as it rattled along the bumpy road. You were already clinging to the seat, the chances of falling forward quite high considering you were moving up the mountain and towards some unknown new home your eccentric father bought on a whim.

An eccentric father who wasn't even coming with you to your new home. 

But that wasn't really anything too new. Your father was a popular archaeologist whose field of work was growing more and more fashionable; especially among the more wealthy families. It was becoming common for people with money to purchase antiques to show off in their home. You could be at a garden party, enjoying a good cup of tea and talk about the latest in French fashion when a hostess or host would suddenly boast about a latest venture then proceed to pull out a jar that held a shriveled liver of some ancient priest. Or one would be on their way to a the powder room in a strangers home and stumble upon a supposed cursed painting done by some insane, forgotten king who chopped off his wives heads because he thought they were plotting against him.

Worse, one could be dancing with an attractive suitor when he suddenly brags about the dried up mummy he discovered on his latest dig, then proceed to give every little detail about the dead person who's organs had been ripped out through their nose.

It was all very, very uncomfortable.

Especially for you considering you grew up around such things. One would imagine as a child you would be used to seeing strange artifacts and objects but everything your father brought home scared the living daylights out of you. One couldn't leave a room without accidentally brushing against some shrunken head or knocking over a jar that supposedly hosted the soul of a ancient witch.

Birthdays were especially unforgiving. You loved your father dearly, but sometimes you wished you could just get a nice pair of slippers like a normal girl instead of a beaded necklace plucked off some saintly nun who was burned at the stake for her beliefs. You honestly didn't have the heart to tell him that the necklace itself smelled faintly of charred flesh and creeped you out to no end.

You just wanted to be a normal girl like everyone else. Girls your age were having coming out parties where they would wear pretty dresses and dance with possible future husbands and talk among friends and just be merry.

You? You were being carted off to some northern country in the mountains away from civilization and friends.

This was almost as bad as the time your father dragged you off to Egypt for a summer season. It had been so unbearably hot and the weather had been unforgiving to your health. You were surprised you were able to survive there for so long, dealing with the bugs, the heat, the snakes, and the sand.

There was so much sand, you were sure some of it was still in your shoes.

"Don't worry, ________." Your maid smiled, trying to make you feel comfortable. "If any bear comes near you I will kill it." 

You smiled at her nervously, not sure you wanted to see such a fight that she could no doubt win. "T-Thank you Marguerite."

The blonde woman beamed at you, having tried hard to give you that normality that you craved. And though she would say weird things like killing a bear she would go out of her way to shop with you, help you pick out clothes, and teach you how to interact with others without sounding like a misfit.

You were always in awe of your maid. With her unruly yellow hair, long slender legs, and a slim, curvaceous figure. Compared to you, you felt she should be the Lady and you the Maid. 

She had been picked up by your father from some tribe in the amazon that had made him an honorary member. She had been sent with him as a servant and he had placed you in her care at the tender age of five, which Marguerite seemed to enjoy. She was like your big sister. Well, your big sister who could take down large animals, hunt in the woods like a man, and wear the strangest of clothes when guests weren't coming over.

She seemed to think you were still a bit upset so she reached into your small bag and pulled out an opened envelope. "Why don't you read your father's letter again? It'll make you feel better."

You took the yellow parchment and tried to give her a smile, opening up the paper and skimming over the messy writing your father had always used.

 

**_January 3rd, 1884_**   
**15 Olde Briar Cove**

**_Dearest ___________,_**

 

  
**_I'm happy to tell you that I acquired an extraordinary house up in the far north! It's full of rich history and so many memories of the past. I know you'll love living there. There is a small village just at the base of the mountain that I'm sure visiting will be quite a treat-_**  


 

You've seen the village, it was very small and you were sure the locals wanted nothing to do with you.

 

  
**_-I hope you enjoy it as much as I did touring it. I made sure your room was especially ready by the time you arrive so you don't have to fuss over anything. I know you are going to be away from all your friends, but I hope this will be an experience you will always remember. Someday, I hope you will take this obstacle and-_**   


 

Then he went on and on about how he wished you to grow into a more rounded individual, and though you were upset with him when he didn't consult you over this big change, you couldn't help but feel affection for your father for wanting you to be more open to change. He finished the letter with all his love and usual pet names for you which made you flush whenever he used them in public.

You closed the letter and sighed, feeling it had been a good idea to read it again. 

The carriage bumped and you almost went airborne out of your seat, but Marguerite used her fast reflexes to keep that from happening. You scowled and tried to fix your dress to look presentable then went back to staring out the window, overlooking the vast mountain landscape as it slowly turned colder and more snow appeared on the ground the further you went up.

You worried slightly, wondering if you had the proper clothing to survive the climate - but you were sure your father had all that arranged...right?

Who were you kidding? He was lucky enough to remember to take his reading glasses with him on a dig.

A fretting feeling washed over you as you realized how much of a bad idea this was, panicky thoughts flitting about your head all the way up the mountain until you reached a long stone bridge.

Curious, you peeked out the small window of the carriage then promptly pulled your head back in, pushing your back as far into the seat as possible as you took quick, fearful breaths.

The bridge you were currently riding over was situated hundreds and hundreds of feet over a large crevice, one that would kill anyone instantly if they were to fall off. You were sure it was so deep that you couldn't see the bottom (not that you would go out of your way to see if this were true).

"Oh my," Marguerite gasped in awe, not at all afraid as she looked out the window at your surroundings. It was safe to say she was the braver one of you both...well, you were afraid of most anything and she of nothing.

"Lady ______, you need to look at this," the made gasped in surprise; her hand gesturing you to look out the window once more.

You made a noise, refusing to look back out for fear that you would see the old stone bridge suddenly collapse and you would fall tragically to your death. "I-I'm fine where I am."

She didn't turn to look at you, only swerved her head around as if she were taking in something magnificent. "My Lady, you must see this! It's our new home!!"

You needed a bag, something to breath in and out of to calm your beating heart. "Unless we're not walking over a death trap, I think I will see it once we arrive."

Marguerite turned to look at you, eyes wide with delight. "It's so large!"

What? You hesitantly scooted to the window, hands gripping the sill as you slowly peeked out. You tried to avoid looking down or over the bridge, keeping your eyes up until you finally spotted your new home in the distance.

Your jaw dropped, eyes widening as speech seemed to escape you.

It was a castle. A very huge castle!! With fortifying walls surrounding who knew what, arches that gave it splendor and even tall towers that would probably put the mansions back home to shame. Though it looked nothing like some fantasy castle most girls dreamed of or read about in books, this one was definitely magnificent.

"A castle," You said breathlessly, "Father bought a castle..."

You didn't even notice the bridge anymore, studying all you could as you neared the home. The castle was situated in a square, connecting one wall to the other with turrets and pillars in between (no doubt used long ago as watch posts in case there were raids). There was one larger tower in the back corner of the place, facing a vast scenery of the other side of the mountain that was untouched by man; it even had a flag upon it's roof, waving in the winter wind.

"I do not believe we have to worry about bears anytime soon," Marguerite grinned, looking eager to explore the grounds. This did not comfort you.

The coach finally made it to the tall, metal gates - the black metal designed with intricate patterns to make the entrance look full of splendor while also keeping the unwanted out. You watched as they slowly creaked open by some unknown person before the cart rolled in, wheels bumping on the cobblestone.

Your driver opened the door and helped you both out, Marguerite already looking about with a wide smile while you twiddled your fingers nervously behind her.

The walls surrounding your new home seemed to house a large courtyard that held the stables and a blacksmith station. To the far left seemed to be some kind of barracks and a set of small stairs that led to a wooden door. Looking to your right, you noted unruly grass and wildflowers clinging to ivy that grew on the stone barriers, giving off the feel that the castle had been abandoned for a long time. You spotted further to your right was a tall staircase that led to an upper area of the grounds and before you knew it, your maid was dragging you towards them.

Making your way upwards, you realized that there were people here on makeshift walkways cleaning up the wildlife and repairing crumbling walls. It seemed clear that the only reason your father had been able to afford such extravagance was because the castle was nearing it's end. Your overly caring father had probably decided this place was too important to history to let it go tumbling down so had bought it up and paid many people to fix it.

You sighed, glad he didn't at least bankrupt the family by doing this. Sometimes he just bought things without thinking of the consequences...

When you both finally made it up the stairs you were able to study the upper courtyard, spotting a large building that looked much like an old tavern that was being fixed up into a place for the servants to stay (which really wasn't necessary since you only had a handful - they could sleep in the castle). To the left of the building was another set of stairs that led up to one of the tall walls that also seemed to be walkways from one tower to the next.

You turned in place, taking it all in until your gaze stopped on the final set of stairs which looked fancier then the others you had walked up. It led up to the main castle itself, tall oak doors keeping you from seeing the very inside of your new home.

"Amazing!" Marguerite gushed, taking your hand and dragging you up the stairs as well. You frowned as she opened the doors with ease and stepped inside what looked like a large entryway that led to a dining hall.

Everything was in disrepair but it seemed everyone inside was working their hardest to get the place up and running again. The dining hall was long with three doors on the left and right of the walls (who knew where those led to) and at the very end was a set of windows that reached to the ceiling itself, making the room feel more like an old chapel then an actual castle.

You fiddled with your fingers nervously once more as you neared the windows, finding out they overlooked the magnificent view of the country's landscape. Each mountain looked like they reached the very sky itself, the sun shining off them and making them even more heavenly. You could even see a valley with a river running through it far off in the distance that made the place actually feel like a fantasy.

And you were so very very high up. You had to step away and look at the floor, body fidgeting as you tried not to think about how high up you actually were.

This was crazy. Too crazy!! You couldn't live in a castle!! There were too many things that could go wrong and no doubt it would be hard to keep it up to date. Not to mention if something were to happen you would have to travel hours to the village just to see a doctor (not even counting possible weather situations). What had your father been thinking?! This was impractical!!

"Let's go see your room!" Your maid grinned and dragged you around until she finally asked someone for directions. She got them from a worker who told you both to head through the door on the left by the tall windows and up the flights of stairs (how many did this place need?); this walkway led to the castle's tallest tower.

'Thank you, father.' You thought anxiously, climbing up spiraling staircase after spiraling staircase to the tallest point. 'I always wanted to live in a tall tower where I could sleepwalk to my death.'

When you finally reached the top, you had to take a moment to catch your breath while Marguerite stared, not even looking the least bit winded.

"This mountain air will be good for you. You'll grow strong after a few months," She beamed before opening the door to...another set of stairs. By the great Queen Victoria, why were there so many stairs?!!

Luckily, these were only a small set, so the climb only took a few seconds. They led to a single room that was very large and circular - housing a big canopy bed and recently washed windows that held a door that led to a balcony. This balcony, of course, showed off a view of the mountains and valley below, and hopefully someday you won't fall to your doom by going outside.

The room wasn't completely decorated yet, some of the paintings from back home were still covered in their tarps and leaning against the wall of another door that seemed to be a small storage room. But all your items from your old room were here, placed in a way that actually made the area very nice. There was even a little loft with a ladder, bookshelves lining the walls up in the tiny space.

In fact, the room was downright amazing and you felt a lot better about your situation after seeing it. Your father had spared no expense in making you feel comfortable.

You even felt a sting of tears in your eyes at his thoughtfulness, ones that quickly disappeared as soon as Marguerite opened the balcony doors and a strong winter wind blew through, causing your skirts to fly about like crazy.

"Oh my, it is cold up here!" Your maid noted aloud, checking out the little balcony before stepping back inside, not even bothering to close the glass doors behind her. You rubbed your arms for warmth as you watched her go to a fire place that you hadn't notice, working on getting it lit. "I'll get this place warm for you so you can get some rest. We had a long journey after all."

You didn't really fight her on this idea, fatigue already washing over you as you walked to the canopy bed. It wasn't your old one, seeing as it had broken sometime during transit. You touched the silk sheets while opening the thin drapes, feeling a bit spoiled at the number of pillows and blankets piled on it. There were even fur blankets, no doubt for the extra cold nights.

You didn't care for animal furs but you wouldn't turn away something that would keep you from freezing to death.

Marguerite took a bit to get the fire going, but once she did it quickly grew warm and she closed the doors to the balcony and placed the latch down so the wind wouldn't blow them open. She turned and grinned at you, hurrying forward to help you into more comfortable clothes. Normally, you would fight her on this since you liked to do such things yourself but were too tired at this point to say anything.

Once out of your travel clothes and into something comfortable and warm, you found yourself slipping into what you would describe as the best bed in the world and were tucked in. The blonde woman gave you a warm smile and pinched your nose playfully.

"I'll see what we're going to do about dinner, you get some sleep." 

You nodded and watched her close your thinly veiled bed drapes before walking down the little stairs to the door, hearing it close behind her and leaving you alone. You turned your head to look at the crackling fire place while you thought over your situation, feeling like a weird princess in some storybook.

You didn't really care to be a princess. A normal person would be good. One who didn't worry about what ancient trinkets were lurking in their home, or what new fascinating dead body their father had found, and who didn't live in a castle.

You covered your eyes with your arm and sighed, "Father....You're too much."


	2. Chapter 2

The sun slowly went down over the landscape at your balcony window, the mountains looking more astounding by the way they turned from ice blue to just landscapes of shadow while the sky changed to a brilliant orange and purple.  You could see the clear night sky start to appear the more the sun left the day, stars already starting to twinkle into existence while you watch; eyes a lit with wonder as the giant golden orb finally left and pushed your room into complete darkness.  It was a very soothing thing to wake up to and completely worth your sleep schedule being messed up because of your nap.  
  
You sat up and stretched, feeling happy and refreshed.  Even if you were in an unfamiliar place where who knows what bad things could happen.  
  
But, you suppose it was better then Egypt.    
  
There wasn't any sand in the mountains....right?  
  
Blinking, you sniffed the air when you realized there was a warm and comforting aroma drifting through.  You got off the bed and searched around until you noticed a tray right next to the crackling fireplace, on it was a plate covered in a lid, a glass of water, and a spoon.  You lifted the cover off and practically melted as the smell of warm soup wafted into your face, a lump of fresh bread halfway into the liquid and soaking up it's delicious spices.  You spotted a small note under the bowl and gently wiggled it out, reading it over and smiling.  
  
Marguerite had not wished to wake you for dinner so she had made sure to save you some and kept it just the right temperature.  She urged you to eat all of it then to perhaps explore the castle a bit.  It was obvious she didn't like you walking around alone at night, but she also was super excited about the new home.  
  
Honestly, you were curious about the giant structure as well and you mulled the thought of exploration over in your mind as you ate your food.  You decided that perhaps it was time to draw up a little bravery.  
  
You looked out at the balcony and shivered, deciding you will build up the courage to check it out later before putting on a warm cape to go over your cotton night dress.  You knew no one would be walking around the castle this late, most of the staff in bed for the night or out in the weird tavern structure in the courtyard relaxing with the workers and possibly drinking.  You trusted your staff though, so walking around in such clothing wasn't really as embarrassing as the time you ran around naked as a child.  
  
Grabbing a candle stick and lighting it, you walked out of your room to set about exploring your new home.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Okay, so far so good.  Though the castle was in disrepair, everything that was broken down or dangerous was already being worked on and even blocked off so no one could go near it.  The smaller things, like dusty halls, damaged paintings, and rusty sets of armor were going to be looked at as soon as the major flaws were fixed.  
  
You had started out in the great hall, checking all the doors on each side of the walls.  The first door right next to the one that led to your room led to a small hallway, the small windows still without glass and letting in a cold breeze until you arrived to another door that housed a little study and bedroom.  Nothing was unpacked yet, just crates and boxes filled with unknown things while a bed sat in the corner and piled with trinkets and tools you knew to belong to your father.  Deeming this his room, you closed the door and proceeded with your exploration.  
  
The next door led to a strange circular room that you assumed was located under your tower, considering it's shape.  It was pretty bare, stone walls and floors with nothing decorated on them, making you unsure what use it would be other then maybe a lounge.  You checked the doors in this room and found it had a storage closet as well and a set of stairs that led downwards instead of up.  
  
You would have started down them, but one flicker of your candle alerted you that the steps were crumbling and un-walkable.  Making a note to come back once the workers were done, you left this room and looked around some more.  
  
You checked out the other three doors of the great hall, finding one led downwards to the kitchens.  Everything seemed set up and cleaned and any doors led to closets, storage, and even outside to where the stables were.  The fifth door in the hall led upwards to a catwalk that looked over the opening room of the castle then up some more to the outside where the castle walls were.  You had quickly stepped back inside as soon as you had felt the mountain wind blow at you and decided you would probably never go out there, considering how high the walls themselves were and how hazardous the wind seemed to be.  
  
The last door led downwards and into what looked like a little ballroom, though it was strange considering the hall upstairs would serve the same purpose for parties.  The room had and old rug in the middle; red and stained with who knew what while the walls were decorated in very old looking paintings.  The ceiling itself felt very low considering how tall they were in the many other rooms of the castle, it made the room feel a bit suffocating.  You studied the paintings and noted that they weren't your family's, but the previous owners.  Each set seemed to have a theme of ships and rocky waters and even a creepy looking tower overlooking the sea, they all seemed dark and made the room feel more depressing.  The pictures didn't appear to have dates or even a signature by the artist which only made you grow to dislike them more; even the back of the pictures held no information.  
  
You jumped when one of the canvases fell as soon as you touched it, almost dropping your candlestick while you placed a hand over your chest.  You calmed your silly heart and placed the candle down, picking up the picture and tried to set it back up.  It was a painting of dangerous, dark waves engulfing a ship whole and no doubt killing it's occupants.  The colors were mainly black and navy while the ship was small and fragile looking, there was rain pelting down on the vessel while the sky was completely black with storm clouds.  The only hint of bright colors was a tiny lantern on the bow of the ship, though it was obviously about to go out with the way the next wave was heading towards it.  
  
You were relieved when you got it back up and you didn't have to look at the thing for much longer, deciding you would take these down as soon as possible and put better ones up.  
  
Ones much less gloomy...  
  
Once you were finished with the creepy ballroom, you took the time to study the entrance hall itself, the feeling of anxious suffocation unclench from your chest as soon as you entered the tall room.  It really did feel like a grand chapel, how the ceiling rose so high that the lights of the hanging candles couldn't shine every part of the architecture.  You marveled at the tall windows, the shiny stone floor and even some of the pillars which seemed to be carved by hand with intricate designs of flowers and animals.  You were brushing your hands over one of the wooden posts, hand gliding over a stern looking stag, when you noticed another door in the far, dark corner.  
  
Curious, you walked over to it and gasped when you realized it led to a courtyard that was actually situated in another part of the grounds.  
  
It was almost overwhelming that you had to close the door again to think.  It was definitely too dark to be venturing outside, but you were still very much awake...  
  
Smiling, you opened the door again and stepped out, glad that no breeze was here to blow out your candle.  You gently lifted up your night dress a little so you wouldn't trip over anything.  The first thing you noted was that the door itself to an open walk path with stone floors and walls that only reached up to your waist that slightly blocked off the gardens themselves.  You walked along this path and realized that there was another set of stairs and many more doors on the right of you where the castle was.  You weren't sure if you could explore them all and the garden on your left.  
  
Thinking for a moment, you decided to leave the garden courtyard itself for the daytime where you could properly appreciate it's beauty.  You then kept your focus on your left on the handful of doors and tall set of stairs that seem to lead to one of the outer walls.  Marking those off the list, you started exploring the other rooms instead.  
  
Each door seemed to only house tiny areas no bigger then your own personal closet.  A few were what you assumed were guest rooms, one of them caved in complete and overrun with plants and possibly tiny animals.  Another room was full of items you didn't recognize, covered in white sheets to keep any dust from collecting.  You figured this was another thing the previous occupants left behind and tried to guess what each shape was.  One was obviously a full body mirror, seeing as it was only half covered and was reflecting your image back at you.  
  
Shutting this wooden entrance, you passed two more doors that were broken, the inside also caved in and unusable until the workers got to it.  You finally made it to the end of the archway where the final door was and pushed it open.  
  
Inside was an actual chapel.  Like a tiny church filled with broken pews and an old statue of some holy figure you couldn't place because the face was broken off after years of neglect.  You weren't sure if it was even a religion you recognized, but the statue was in a robed style, so you could only assume Christianity.  On it's walls were old, torn drapes with some worn off insignia, the cloths hanging from crude hooks high up near the broken roof of the room.  
  
Stepping inside (mindful of bits of rubble from the ceiling), you took a few steps towards the statue, dead leaves crunching under your slippers as you held up the candle to get a better look at it.  It was fine craftsmanship, the clothing on it looking very realistic and it made you feel sad that it's face was completely gone.  It's hands were folded together in what looked like prayer, though the serene gesture looked a little unsettling since a few of it's fingers were also missing.  You reached up and gently touched one of the broken fingers, wondering if you found the missing pieces if you could restore some of it.  
  
It was then that you noticed by the statue's bare feet were fresh flower petals, old candles, and a little wooden box.  Setting the candlestick down on the floor, you crouched and looked over it all.  You deduced that some of the workers either recognized the figure or projected their own religion onto it so they could pray here without having to travel all the way back to the village.  You picked up one of the petals and gently rubbed it between your finger, smiling how silky the pink slip felt.  
  
You pocketed the petal, feeling like it was moment you wanted to cherish before looking to the little box.  It looked very old and untouched, making you believe it was here long before the workers made this place their house of worship.  Leaning closer, you saw that the reason it hadn't been pawed at was because it had an old lock on it.  Though, it looked more like a puzzle lock for children.  There were three wooden little carvings that were different from one another as the keys.  You saw that they could be turned until a different picture was showing and figured that putting the carvings in the right order would open up the container.  
  
Though they were crudely drawn, you could tell by their shapes what they were meant to be, an owl, a snake, and a bear.  Interest took over as you slowly started to move the pictures in random sequences, hoping to open up and look inside.  If there was one thing you admired, it was a good puzzle.  You tried clumsily at first, not remembering each order you put them in until after the fifth try.    
  
Owl, Snake, Bear.   Bear, Owl, Snake.  Snake, Bear, Owl.    
  
You did all these combinations before thinking that perhaps there could be doubles and tried a few times where the lock had two owls or snakes.  You were growing a little frustrated with this fiddling but it only seemed to make you more determined to open up the box.  
  
It wasn't until much later that you just gave up and put in random combos again, not even watching your fingers as your eyes drifted to the candlestick to see how low your light was doing.  You noted you should head back to your room soon or you'd be lost in darkness but stopped when you heard a distinctive click.  
  
You looked at the box quickly, smile growing on your face when you saw it was finally open by just a crack.  You giggled to yourself and looked at the combination you had put in and rolled your eyes.  
  
Bear, bear, bear.  
  
Of course it had been something simple, but instead of dwelling on it, you opened the container with eager anticipation.  
  
...Then you quickly closed the box again, a feeling of dread washing over you.  
  
Why? Just...Why???  Even all the way up in the mountains away from civilization and even your quirky father, you could not escape the weirdness that was your life.  
  
Opening the box once more, you glared at the jar that contained a shriveled up body part.  Most likely an internal organ considering it's color.  It was slightly bigger then your hand and covered in dust, but you knew it was a body part because you've seen it a million times before; on your father's mantlepiece, in a close friend's home, inside a Christmas box.  
  
"Just when I thought I found something interesting...."  You sighed and reached inside, thinking your father would at least like it as a homecoming gift.  You picked it up and studied it closely, trying to figure out which organ it was exactly before your candle went out.  
  
You gasped and looked at it, annoyed that the wick had stopped long before your estimated time.  You hated the idea of moving around with no light, but this was the least of your problems at the moment.  A huge gust of wind suddenly rushed through the room, making your white nightdress flutter wildly along with your cloak; quickly covering yourself with your arms during this violent miniature storm, frightened that something would be blown from the roof and crush you or just being blown away.  
  
As soon as it had started, it stopped.  The room going deathly still while you slowly lowered your numb arms to look around.  
  
Then the quiet suddenly felt too still, no noises from outside, wind, or even a mouse.  Just tense, terrifying quiet.  
  
You were almost overwhelmed by the eeriness until you noticed a soft sound.  It was faint and far away, but once you stopped breathing to truly listen did you realize it was getting closer and louder.  Louder and louder until you realized what it was.    
  
Screaming.  
  
Screaming of pure agony and rage that seemed to echo outside and bouncing off the stone walls and all around the very mountain itself.  The wail was a disturbing mixture of man, woman, and beast as it raked on your eardrums like sharp claws digging into skin.  It was getting closer too, you could practically see it's path as it grew longer and louder; down the halls and through many doors and flying past stairs as it made it towards the very last door at the end of the courtyard.  You didn't want to know what it was, fearing the worst as dread and childlike fear of the dark swarmed over your entire body.  
  
You stood up quickly, forgetting the candlestick as you knocked it over and ran out of the room, fearing you would see a ghastly apparition just around the corner.  You saw nothing but didn't stop, feeling the wail in your bones and it drew closer; following the path you took to get here.  
  
Without a second thought, you ran forward and climbed over the small stone wall, scraping your knees on the rough surface as you scrambled over and hopped down.  You then ran forward, eyes wide and hair wild while your legs took you as fast as they could through the garden courtyard where there were bushes, dead flowers, and fallen rubble; it's beauty now sullied.  
  
You didn't know where you were going, only that you had to run.  Run far and run fast away from the primal scream that didn't seem to need breath to continue.  You were halfway through the small area when you noticed a single door against the castle wall.  You headed towards it, clutching your hand tight to your chest as you climbed over the other wall and towards the door.  You tugged hard at the large, black iron ring that served as a door knob and ran inside, feeling the scream as it grew closer and closer.  You were sure this was only over the course of a few seconds, but it felt like eternity as you ran down the dim hallway.   
  
At first you thought there was something right beside you and you almost screamed but realized that the right of the wall was lined with mirrors, not paintings, but mirrors.  Your reflection was running along side you, showing you just how frightened and crazy you looked as you ran from something you didn't understand.  But you couldn't stop, despite how it all appeared.  Your body wouldn't let you.  The rational part of your brain was telling you this was nothing but your imagination, but your instincts screamed to run.  Urged you to go faster and faster or the monster would get you.  
  
You finally made it down to the end of the mirrored hall and pushed open the only door, stumbling into what looked like the other side of your father's room.  Swallowing, you climbed over furniture and knocked over a few objects until you reached the door and ran into the grand hall.  The child part of you reminded you of an old rule that one must follow if they were running away from a monster.  
  
They can't get you in your room and on your bed.  
  
So you ran to the very last door on the left and pulled, gasping with fear as the scream slowly started to vibrate through the hall.  You ignored it the best you could as you took to the stairs, climbing and climbing and climbing until your lungs were on fire and your legs felt like jelly.   
  
But it was behind you.  It was behind you and it was catching up.  It was on your heels and you weren't even to the entrance of your room.  You could feel the monster already breathing on your neck, it's screams making you want to cover your ears and scream right back until your throat could no longer work.   
  
Then you were at your door.  You pushed hard and fell into the tiny staircase that led up to your beautiful, safe room.  You turned and pushed the door close, crying out when the wood rattled violently under your hands.  You scrambled to lock the latch then leaned your whole body against, knees knocking together as the door handle bounced on the wood and the very hinges look ready to give way to the force.  
  
The scream suddenly stopped.  The door stopped rattling and all was quiet again.  
  
You found yourself falling to the ground and clutching the front of your dress, cape draped over your body like a blanket while you stared hard at the ground.  Your heart wouldn't calm down, your fingers couldn't stop shaking, your lips kept trembling.  
  
And clutched in your hand was a jar with human remains.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three days since the courtyard incident.  

You'd been on edge the whole time, looking over your shoulder at every noise and unable to sleep because you feared you would see a spirit appear at the end of your bed.  Light bags had started to form under your eyes which worried Marguerite immensely.  She would ask what was the matter but you would just wave it off as adjusting to the castle and it's strangeness.  The maid seemed to settle a bit at this explanation, but still kept a watchful eye on you in case something were to happen.  

Nothing else happened after that night.  No one had mentioned the screaming the following day and everyone was in high spirits.  The castle didn't feel any different during the day, just calm and relaxing as birds flit about on their business and workers carried on with their restoration.  It was like this for two more days and made you evaluate that night more closely, thinking perhaps you had had a nightmare and imagined it all.

  
But it didn't explain the jar...  The item that was the cause of all your grief, all your nervousness and anxiety; the item that you couldn't seem to bring yourself to throw off a cliff, or smash it against the wall.  No, you couldn't do that.  Something always seemed to stop you and you would clutch it close like it was something precious.  You even kept it on your nightstand, an action that weirded you out but still couldn't bring yourself to stop.  
  
Something was wrong with that jar.  Something was wrong with this whole castle.  Something was wrong with _you_.  
  
The fourth day came and still nothing occurred.  This was when you started to feel silly.  
  
Of course nothing had chased you that night.  Everyone around you was working and talking with cheer and said nothing of screams and terrifying creatures lurking about.  You had just scared yourself senseless for no reason.  For all you knew, it had been the mountain wind blowing through the old halls and making you think some terrifying banshee had come for you.  They all went about their day with no worries and it made you feel like you should too.  
  
Now feeling braver, you went about exploring the castle again.  Marveling at the dining room's pillars, walking the grounds, studying old statues and suits of armor that were stationed in halls, even venturing into the second courtyard.  
  
Yes, you had gone back.  And despite your fears, nothing jumped out at you.  Nothing tried to chase, maim, or touch you.  You were only greeted with singing birds, chatting men working on the walls, and even a gentle wind.    
  
Everything felt peaceful.  
  
Though the garden was littered with weeds and gnarled branches, and the walls were crawling with vines; spider-webbing from the ground and almost reaching the very top of the stone barriers, it had a lot of potential to be beautiful.  Once you had plotted out what to do with the garden, all thoughts of _that_ night were finally gone.  You were smiling and even enjoying yourself.  It was then you decided that, because of your elation, you would look into the rooms lined up along the walls again; even the one that held the little church.  
  
In fact, you started with that one first.  
  
Pushing open the door, you bravely stepped inside and looked about.  Everything looked the same as it did.  The tattered tapestries still hung from the walls, the pews were broken or pushed aside, there was still a bit of rubble in the room where the roof had caved in.  The only thing that was different were the candles by the stone figure, all used up and littered with new ones where it showed the workers still prayed here.  
  
Finding that nothing was going to yell boo, you closed the door to the chapel and went to the next few rooms, pointedly ignoring the empty little chest by the faceless statue.  
  
It didn't take too long to explore the rooms again.  Two were caved in and impossible to enter while another one was empty.  The only room you had taken your time in was the one with all the old furniture covered in sheets.  You uncovered each piece one by one, finding an old armoire, a cabinet in fine condition, and even a dresser full of clothing items.  You were eager to see what treasure the dresser had in store, but decided you save it for another day.  
  
Closing the drawer, you went to the last piece of furniture in the room.  You already knew what it was, the sheet hanging off the tall mirror and giving off a little bit of the room's reflection under all it's dust.  Pulling off the white cloth, you coughed when dust flew into your face and speckled the air.  Waving away what you could from your mouth, you blinked a bit until you could finally see.  
  
The mirror had an oval body, it being a good head or two taller than yourself, and it's frame was made of gold that was corroding after years of neglect.  The frame itself was not smooth, but shaped into intricate swirls that gave it an air of sophistication.  Despite it's height, the width of the mirror was narrow, it being just wide enough to reflect to your elbows if you stretched out your arms.    
  
The mirror's surface was still covered in dust so you reached out with a hand to wipe some away.  You had instantly regretted this action as dark gray dirt gathered on your hand and quickly wiped it off on your clothing...another action you groaned about since you had just wiped it off your _white_  clothing.  You shook your head and looked at the mirror with an annoyed expression, seeing only half your face staring back at you.  The light bags under your eyes, furrowed brow, slightly scrunched up nose.  
  
Movement.    
  
Your gaze flitted to the corner of the mirror, still covered in dust but visible just enough to show a form move out of sight.  You quickly turned to look behind you, glancing around from the door to every corner of the room and seeing nothing there.  Frowning, you slowly looked back to the mirror to look at yourself once more.  
  
But you froze when you saw something right behind you, the reflection showing a tall figure's chest that was clothed in a black cloak lined with white fur.  They moved, a large hand reaching up towards your neck.  
  
You gasped and stumbled to turn around, feeling like you were about to fall into whoever was behind you.  But your arms hit nothing and you realized no one was there.  Blinking, you turned to look back at the mirror and saw only your reflection.  
  
All you could hear was your breathing as you stared into the mirror while your gaze flitted over the surface, wondering if you would see the figure again.  You saw nothing but dust and your tired eyes.  
  
Deeming yourself a fool, you moved to leave the room when you heard a loud yell then a thump come from outside.  You rushed out of the room and scanned your surroundings until you saw a group of workers gathered around a spot across the garden.  You hurried over but was stopped by one of them, his face pale and hands flying to keep you from getting past.  He spoke in a language you didn't know and kept trying to push you away from the scene, but you had managed to move past him.  
  
You froze.  Staring down at an older man who had fallen from the top of the wall, his legs twisted in an awkward angle and his back arched and shuttered with pain.  He looked like a rag doll, or a puppet whose strings had been cut and left to flop weirdly onto the floor.  You couldn't look away, only stare at the fallen man until one of the workers finally dragged you from the scene and back into the castle.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
The man had been taken down to the village at the base of the mountain for immediate care, but died two days later.  This set a gloom over the castle, the workers taking a few days off to mourn their fallen friend.  They had all left for the village for a bit, leaving only you and the staff.  
  
It felt emptier without all the men walking around and fixing the place up.    
  
It was...eerie.  
  
There wasn't as much noise, so only echoes of birds or the wind would greet your ears as you walked around.  Not even the staff talked as much, all a bit shaken by the sudden death and not in any real humor to chat.    
  
Sometimes there was no noise at all.  That was when the castle felt it's creepiest.  It made you feel small, vulnerable, **trapped**.  Shivers would sometimes crawl up your spine when you entered certain rooms, tingling skittering about your skin like tiny little spiders.  It would be a split moment, but you would hesitate to enter these rooms unless truly needed.  Other times you would be reading in the dining hall where it was mostly cool only to suddenly feel like you were having a heat stroke, sweat trickling down your cheeks and body feeling sticky with humidity.  You were sure to faint at any moment from the intense swelter only to suddenly feel fine, a cool breeze blowing through your hair and tickling your skin.  
  
You weren't sure if you were the only one experiencing these things or not.  No one seemed to mention them.  You felt like you were slowly going crazy until you wondered if maybe no one talked about it because they felt that they were imagining these things too.  That they were just scaring themselves and they should just buck up and keep working.  Was this castle just driving you all mad?  
  
Even Marguerite looked a little tired, her usual cheerful smile looking smaller and smaller by the day.  
  
She would usually come through the door like a whirlwind, cleaning and chatting and greeting everyone.  She made the room warm and welcoming, but now she was just an autumn breeze; barely noticeable as she wiped down tables and floors with a tired gaze.  You worried for her.  
  
But just when things seemed to grow darker, the workers came back.  They seemed better and in higher spirits, ready to get back to their jobs and make the castle lively again.  The staff were smiling once more and the halls echoed with noise and chatter.  
  
The small things didn't seem to matter anymore because everyone was happy.  They all ignored the rooms that made them shiver and the hall that changed in drastic temperatures.  Everything was bearable again.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
"What's that?"  You frowned, walking into your room and seeing men trying to get up your stairs.  You had just come back from dinner and were ready to just pass out for the night when you found your way blocked by two men lugging a large object.  
  
They grunted and said something in their language and continued to get it to the top, setting it down by your bed where Marguerite was standing.  
  
"Lady ________!"  The blonde smiled, looking as vibrant as ever.  "I found this in one of the rooms and I thought you might like it."  
  
You frowned and stared at the object, stiffening when you realized it was the mirror from before.  "O-Oh?"  
  
The maid nodded and patted the frame, "It took a little work, but I think I cleaned it up pretty good."  
  
She had indeed.  It held no signs of being left to rot in a room for years, it's frame polished and surface dusted clean.  And look, it only showed the people in the room's reflection, isn't that nice?  
  
"T-Thank you, Marguerite."  You walked closer, hesitant to be too close to the object.  "But perhaps it's too, uh, tall?"  
  
The blonde frowned, "Tall?"  
  
"Ah, yes."  You smiled, going with it,  "I'm sure it's more suited for you."  
  
Marguerite blinked then laughed, patting your arm before turning to the men and thanking them for their help.  They smiled and blushed at your maid, saying something back in their native tongue before leaving the room.  You frowned, wondering if you could ever get suitors to do such things for you.  
  
"I think it'll look nice right here," the maid grinned as she pushed the mirror to the far wall just across from your bed.  You tried to think of another way to get the thing out of your room but nothing came to mind, not when the blonde had worked so hard to get it back into shape.  
  
"There!"  She grinned and put her hands on her hips.  She'd adjusted to the mountain life well, wearing her usual tribal clothes that would make any European woman faint and their husbands stare in pleasure.  The cold air didn't even seem to bother her, that made you even more envious.    
  
"I'll let you get to bed.  We're heading to the village tomorrow to get you some appropriate clothes."  
  
You nodded and watched her leave, looking a bit forward to the trip.  Anything to get out of this place for a while.  Your gaze flitted to the mirror then away, your quick peek showing nothing else in the reflection besides yourself and your room.  
  
There was nothing to be frightened of.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
You woke up cold.    
  
Your skin littered with goosebumps and the hairs stood on ends as it felt like ice was being dragged over your body.  Crisp breath was coming visibly from your mouth, your breathing sounding harsh in the freezing room as you turned your head to look at the fireplace.    
  
The logs were out, ashes spilling on the ground where it had finally died.  You turned to look at your balcony, the large windows showing thousands of stars littering the night while a quarter moon hung in the sky.  It was beautiful, but you couldn't really enjoy it right now.  You tugged the furs closer to your body, teeth chattering as you pulled your knees into your chest.    
  
Resolved to go back to sleep, you closed your eyes and sighed.  You were already ebbing away when you felt something touch your hair.  
  
It was a long stroke, dragging lightly across your scalp and pausing at the tips of the soft locks.  It made you jump up, fully awake and wary as you looked around for the source.  You saw nothing around you, your bed drapes still closed and making no signs of having been moved.  You pulled the blankets closer, giving your room one last look before slowly laying back down.  
  
You had a hard time closing your eyes, as if whatever had touched you would snatch you up as soon as your guard was down.  You had to persuade yourself for a few minutes before you finally forced them shut, breathing a bit heavy as you waited for something to happen.  
  
When nothing did, you finally relaxed and felt your heart flutter to a rest.  
  
The blankets were abruptly ripped from your body and flung off the bed, your eyes opening wide and your form jerking upwards.  The drapes were thrown open and the furs laid in a heap on the floor while you laid bare on the mattress, legs curled near to keep from getting too close to the edge.  Your hands clutched your nightgown, shoulders shaking in fear as you looked around the room for a sign of anything.  
  
Something gripped your waist tightly, a firm hand then grasped your jaw and roughly forcing you still while you felt a hard chest push against your back.  Hot breath puffed against your neck as you felt someone's lips lightly brush your ear.  The arm holding your waist moved, it's owner's hand resting on the left side of your chest just above your breast.  Your breathing sped up as his fingers clutched your front, feeling like he was trying to dig his hand into your body and steal your beating heart.  
  
He said nothing for what felt like the longest time, just pushing his nails painfully into your skin while you arched against him with a soft cry.  When he finally spoke, his voice was low and had a laze to it - as if he were bored of this venture and could be doing something more interesting then plunging his hand into your chest.  
  
" _Give it back._ "  He whispered, his voice making your body feel like it was being wrapped in pure silk; you knew that if he were to speak in a crowd, all eyes would be instantly drawn to look at him just to hear more.  The hand restraining your jaw moved to touch your neck, the palm large enough to almost fully wrap around it and give it a hard squeeze.  But he didn't do that, merely stroked it as you shuddered in his hold and felt his sharp claw-like fingers drag across your skin.  
  
You felt him move closer, his nose pressed against the side of your head as he exhaled into your ear.  
  
" _ **Give me back my heart.**_ "


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning**   
_ From this point on, the story will become more horror-esque.   **It is still a romance.**  But I had decided as soon as I started writing this that it would have chilling themes, as seen in the last two chapters.  I won't do anything that would be in a slasher film, but I do want it to be creepy.  So please, if anything like ghost stories or blood bothers you, I advise to stop reading at this point. _   
_ Thank you. _   
  


 

 

His heart?

Your head automatically started to turn to where your nightstand stood but was stopped when the hand on your neck ceased it's stroking.  One by one, the long fingers placed themselves on your skin, cold digits spanning out to grip both your throat and jaw before he forced you to look the other way.  Your body was already close to his, but when he forced you to look right at him, your face was lightly pressed into his collarbone; so close to the side of his neck that your nose would softly brush over his skin.  If one were to walk in and see this, they would think of a man holding his lover, both gazing at each other as if it were a tender moment.

The fact that he gripped your jaw so firmly but also held you as close as possible sent shudders throughout your body; an ominous excitement gripping you and making you numb.

It was almost too dark to see; the half moon shining through your balcony windows giving just enough light to see the stranger's outline, shadows framing his face and only showing enough shape for you to know he had a long straight nose and a jawline that wasn't too strong or too slender.  

What you didn't need light to see were his glowing, steel hued eyes.  Your body forbade you to move as you looked into them and your breathing hitched, stopping as air refused to leave your lungs.  Just looking into them made you feel like you were submerged in a frozen lake, gradually sinking down further and further into the dark, unknown depths while the cold crushed your will to swim to the surface.  You were drowning and drowning and drowning and you still couldn't look away.

He glared down at you, impatience flashing across his face.

" _ **Tell me.**_ "

The anger in his voice made you tremble, yet you struggled to speak.  You couldn't move.  Even if millions of centipedes decided to creep across your skin in droves and latch themselves onto you, you wouldn't be able to tear your gaze away from his eyes.

You tried to gasp for air, but your lungs rejected you; how could you tell him if you couldn't breathe?  

His arms pulled your form closer, pleasure and fear firing off inside you.  You wanted to be as far as possible from this man yet your body wanted to be closer, his gaze compelling you to stay with such a force that you were sure something was wrong.  Yet the movement gave you the will to find your voice, as if he had literally loosened his grip on the fear swelling inside you.

It felt like you had finally broken through the icy water's surface, gasping for breath greedily.

"T-The nightstand-!!"  You trembled with fear.  Now that you could speak, it was like a haze was lifted just a bit and you could feel just how dangerous this man was.  It made you want to run away, to leave this castle and forget it ever existed.  You wanted to go back to your old home and to your old life and just live happily with your father and Marguerite.  You had to fight the will to cry as you spoke again.

"It's on the nightstand!!"

The jar.  He had to be talking about that.

Ever since that night you had been compelled to protect and cherish it.  You couldn't even shove it in a drawer somewhere and ignore it.  You would just set the glass down on the table and stare at it, feeling disgusted for not ridding yourself of the thing.  It had become the bane of your existence.

Yet you still refused to throw it out.

Languidly, he turned his head to the side of your bed, gaze flickering back and forth searchingly before his eyes flashed brighter, colder, **angrier**.  Something was wrong.  His fingers gripped your face once more and forced you to look at your bedside table, the movement pulling you even more flushed against his chest and situating your body into his lap.  It made your skin grow hot and you tried to pull away but his hold was too strong and made you feel helpless.  He lowered his head to whisper into your ear, his face slowly pushing into your head once more as his voice rumbled; low and harsh and making goosebumps quickly spread down your arms.

Then you looked and realized the jar was gone.

" _Liar._ "

Your back arched, the hand that was resting over your heart suddenly digging into your skin and sending pinpricks of pain all over your front.

"No!!  It was there!  I-I swear!!"

Your chest was heaving as one of his pointed digits moved and pulled down the neckband of your night dress, finger dragging lazily across your collar bone and stopping just at the top of your breast.  Cold dread washed over you as his hand formed into a point and move to rest the tip right over your heart.  Eyes widening you tried to wiggle away but your body didn't even twitch and no matter what you did you could only watch as the fingers slowly moved forward.

Then he was piercing your chest, slowly but surely pushing his hand deep into your flesh.  You jerked, trying to get away from the sudden pain that made you cry out as he spoke again; his voice deeply soothing and making you freeze.  You were wrapped in silky tones once more and despite the pain in your chest you still refused to pull away.  His eyes held your own while he stroked your jawline, watching the blood seep across the front of your clothes and soak into the mattress.

" _If I don't have it back by tomorrow night..._ "

Your body seized, head thrown back as you felt something constrict painfully inside you.  The man had grabbed hold of something, something that made your blood run as cold as his eyes.  He then pulled his hand out just as slowly as he pushed it in; it hurt just as much, if not worse.  Blood coated his fist as it popped out of your chest, his hand finally free as he clutched something tight within it.  He gave it a squeeze and you jerked back again, his fingers still caressing your face delicately while your head now rested against his shoulder.

" _...I will take yours._ "

The man opened his hand and you found yourself looking down despite your fear and disgust.  Sick fascination swarmed over you as you prepared to look at your own beating heart, no doubt resting harmlessly in this demon's palm and still pumping to keep you alive.  But you didn't see your heart.  

In his red stained hand rested a tiny petal.  

It was untarnished despite laying in blood, looking the same it did when you pocketed it that night in the chapel.  Pink and pure, as if it had just been plucked from a blooming flower.  You were confused and wondered why such a thing had been inside you, but all thoughts ceased when he moved his thumb to brush over it, making your chest heave with a strange sensation.

Just what was happening?!  What was this man doing to you?!

He moved his face close, forehead resting against your own while his gaze bore into yours.  You could see sharp, white teeth flash in the dark when his lips drew back into a sneer.

" _Tomorrow night._ "

His hand clenched shut around the petal and pain wracked your body.  You cried out in agony as what felt like liquid fire shoot across your chest, body convulsing and making you fall back.  He kept you upright though, your head hanging limply while the pain practically rendered you useless.  His steel eyes flashed in the dark, gazing down at your now exposed neck while he cradled you in his arms.  He looked distracted now, his grip on the petal loosening and giving you a chance to breathe.  The pain didn't ebb away though, leaving you a whimpering mess as the man moved his face closer.

You felt hot breath fan across the front of your neck, making your eyes shut tight and body go stiff in fear and anticipation.  A whimper escaped you as you felt something sharp gently glide across your skin, starting in the very top and going down until it stopped at your jugular.  You felt your face grow hot, a flush quickly spreading across your cheeks as your breathing grew labored.  It was as if your fear had vanished and you were ready for whatever happened next, something telling you to stay perfectly still for this stranger.

Then you felt the tiniest prick, a surge of tingles shooting down your body to the very tips of your toes as his teeth sunk into your flesh.  Your body twitched and a drop of blood seeped out.  It started out small before it grew heavy enough to glide down your neck, painting your skin in a bright, crimson trail.  He latched his mouth fully onto your neck now, sucking hungrily as you felt your energy slowly ebb away.

He was taking too much.  He drank away like a man who had been lost in a desert with no water.  His soft lips kneading into your skin as his teeth remained hooked into your neck and, oh god,  _he was taking too much._

This man was going to kill you and all you could do was lay limply in his arms as you life faded into nothing.

But before you could fall into death's embrace, you watched as he finally pulled away to look down at you, lips coated messily in your blood.  His mouth was open as he sucked in fresh air, fangs glittering red and sharp and making his beauty seem monstrous.  

The sight caused you to shrink back in horror.

 

And then you finally woke up.

 

You jerked awake, eyes wide as you stared up at the bed canopy.  The drapes hanging over your bed were still in place and the blankets laid warmly on top of you.  You were sweating horribly, but were too afraid to move.  Your chest was heaving and you were sure you were ripping holes into your sheets with your nails.

The first thing you did was glance at your nightstand, eyes wide as you looked over the surface.  

There sat the jar, untouched and just where you left it.  A wave of relief washed over you and you sat up to hug your knees, rocking on the mattress while you tried to make sense of what happened.

Of course you would have a nightmare.  You were so stressed out that it was bound to happen sooner or later.  Reaching up, you rubbed your eyes and realized you were crying.  You sobbed and hit your mattress hard, frustrated that such a cliche thing would happen to you.

You've read scary stories as a child and the parts where the character would find out everything had been a dream was the oldest, _stupidest_ thing in the book.  It was maddening that it had happened to you.  

You cradled your face in your hands and rocked a bit, trying to calm yourself so you could go back to sleep.  This was taking too much out of you.  If things got any worse you were sure you were going to die before you experienced all of adulthood.

A few minutes passed before your body finally stopped rocking, but it took longer to get your breathing under control.  Once you finally had a grip on yourself, you pulled your hands away and looked up and found yourself gazing at your own reflection.

Across the room stood the old mirror, casting it's image in the moonlight and it being just bright enough in the room to show everything.  You looked at it in disgust and got out of bed, snatching up one of the spare sheets on your dresser and stomped forward.  With a scowl, you threw the white linen over top of it to cover it up, making sure it enveloped the entire surface.  

You didn't want to look at the damned thing anymore, not when it showed you at your weakest.

You had to hold back another soft sob as you wiped your eyes, refusing to revert back into an anxious mess.  You head hung low as you rubbed your cheeks of any remaining tears, feeling more exhausted then you had in days.  Your gaze flickered down to stare at your feet, toes curling and uncurling as you tried to ignore the cold stone floor.

Then you saw something pink on the front of your dress, resting just at the collar and stuck between the trim and fabric.  Your body froze as you looked down at it, shoulders shaking as you quickly snatched the petal off and threw it away with a cry.

You turned and ran to the bedside table and grabbed the jar, a flood of anger making your ears ring and body move with purpose towards the balcony.  You pushed open the doors with gritted teeth, the strong mountain wind pushing you back just a bit and forcing you into cold shivers.

That didn't stop you as you moved forward to the railing and raised the hand that clutched the jar.  You glared out over the scenery as your arm shook, fingers pale as they dug into the glass and you prepared yourself to throw it off the tower.

But you didn't.  

You couldn't bring yourself to hurl it away and send it to hell where it belonged.  All you could do was cry out in frustration and collapse against the railing, hugging the object close to your chest as a feeling of relief washed over you.  This cursed thing was controlling you.  You should have been able to throw it out no problem, but here you were holding it like it was your own child.

You could only cling to the railing and hide your face in the stone, fresh tears springing in your eyes as you berated yourself for being so pathetic.

The sun finally peaked over the mountains, dawn arriving and time continuing on while you felt stuck in a nightmare.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you sure you're alright?"  
  
You nodded, waving a hand at Marguerite and giving her a tired smile.  "Yes, I just didn't sleep well-"  
  
The carriage jerked and bounced, causing you to almost fall forward to the floor.  Your attendant didn't even look the least bit ruffled, merely helped you back into the seat.  
  
"We can go back to the castle..."  
  
Your skin crawled and the hairs on the back of your neck rose at the mention of your home.  You quickly looked out the vehicle's window to watch the snowy landscape pass by, you also saw your reflection in the glass; a tired face stared back at you, the girl's eyes fatigued and dark against her sickly pale skin.  You frowned and resisted the urge to reach up to touch your cheek, wondering if it was really you in the window.  
  
"No, I think I've grown a bit stir crazy."  You heard Marguerite shift next to you, but she didn't speak, the air in the carriage feeling a little tense and awkward.  It stayed like this for a long while, just you staring out the carriage while your maid would look at you every few minutes with an unreadable expression.  
  
Despite this silence, you started to feel a bit more relaxed and after a while your shoulders grew less tense and your hands finally unclenched themselves from your lap.  It was like the further away you got from the castle, the less it's affects had on you.  The air wasn't thick with cold air that whispered in your ears or chilled your bones until they felt like fragile glass, ready to shatter at the slightest tap.  There was no possibility of a roof crumbling on top of you and burying you into alive until all the oxygen was ripped from you.  No goosebumps to crawl up your arms whenever you entered a one of the eerie chambers.  There were no strange rooms that would change in temperature and make you feel ready to pass out, or monstrous screams to chase you down halls.  No men to fall and die.  
  
There was no jar.  
  
Yes, it was just you and the mountain landscape.  It was quite beautiful and it distracted you from your dream last night.  The land spread around you was covered in pure white, the hills sparse with trees, but held just enough to be home to deer and other mountain creatures.  Everything looked so bright and beautiful compared to the dream's dark and cold atmosphere, stars sparkling the night sky a thousand times the amount of trees that covered this mountain.  The mirror had been glinting with moonlight and looked ominous while the room hummed with silence.  You were alone, yet being watched...  
  
You tried to push the images from your head, but you mind wandered further...Further and further until you remembered the gentle stroke over your hair, much like a large hand tugging it's spindly fingers through your soft locks.  Then it was you staring around and feeling a creeping fear grow and grow and grow.  Your chest grew tight, eyes blinking as you stared at the passing snow.  But you weren't really looking, now you were thinking about an arm snaking around your middle and pulling you into a hard chest while a stranger gripped your chest with sharp, knife-like fingers.  He whispered cold words into your ear, called you a liar, demanded his heart...  
  
Something black caught your eye, jerking you from your thoughts.  You moved closer to the window and looked back, trying to find what had pulled you from your nightmare.  But you saw nothing, just pure white snow and dead trees that had grown impossibly tall on this horrible mountain.  
  
You took a deep breath as you leaned your forehead against the window, eyes closing as you willed yourself to relax and erase all thoughts of last night.  
  
No images of the dream came to mind and you were thankful; you were in total darkness, much like your eyelids had been shutters that blocked out the world.  They blocked out all thoughts, ideas, images, everything.  You were left with peaceful nothingness while you heard only the carriage wheels and the horse's hooves step over the rocky road.  
  
And then in the darkness, two objects glittered in the darkness, somehow shining without light as they beckoned your closer.  You felt your body being gently dragged towards the orbs, your feet gently dragging across the ground until you were suddenly pulled tightly into a cold body.  You looked up and saw nothing but the shining objects that appeared to be eyes.  They looked down at you, the face unseeable in the darkness while it looked like a million stars twinkled in the stranger's pupils.  They were mesmerizing, like gazing into the very sky itself and seeing the heavens.  They held you in place, made you want to look into them forever and ever.  But the stars slowly started to blink out of existence, one by one until there was nothing left but black in his eyes.  Then they slowly turned into the color of steel as the stranger stared down at you.  
  
The man from your dream glared, face now recognizable as if the darkness melted away from his beauty.  His eyes, starless and cold like a frozen tundra held no mercy and radiated anger.  His grip on you tightened painfully and you felt too close to him to be possible, his fingers digging into your arms to the point of bruising.  He then opened his mouth, his rows of teeth sharp and dripping in bright red blood as he leaned down to latch onto your throat-  
  
"Ah!  There it is!"  
  
Your eyes opened at the sound of Marguerite's voice, finding yourself leaning against the carriage door in a slumped position and your face pressed against the glass.  You had fallen asleep and very quickly.  Another nightmare...Something you were growing a little too used to now.  
  
Sitting up, you rubbed your cheek where the cold glass had stuck to it and looked outside, seeing the village in the distance.    
  
It was actually quite big, not at all one would picture being at the base of a mountain that held a castle.  Instead of being greeted with a tiny township that held just a handful of people; the place was actually populated with many families with homes built made of brick and stone, lined up nicely like one large middle-class neighborhood.  The ones with shops either sold items out of their homes or had a small stall out front on the winding roads too small for automobiles and that split off into tiny alleyways (with hanging gardens and burning incense), twisting this way and that as they went into more streets with more villagers and more unique shops.  
  
The people had a clear and strong culture, meeting up with neighbors and inquiring about their day while carrying baskets of food or laundry.  They wore brightly colored robes and headscarves that had coins clinking together on the hems.  The village had been isolated just enough from the outside world to become something completely different, but still very much familiar around other places of Europe.  
  
When you had first arrived at the village, a rest stop before going further up the mountain to the castle, the people had greeted you warmly and with open arms.  They were polite and boastful, giving you warm pastries and flowers as they spoke in broken english.  Everything they did had made you feel a bit more at ease about seeing your new home, but as soon as they found out that you were going up to the castle they had grown silent.  Cold, tense, and fearful.  
  
They had all stared, the light and warmth in their eyes long gone as something indescribable appeared in it's place.  You didn't know what to make from this sudden behavior and were treated like someone with the plague the rest of your stop and when you finally left.  
  
But it seemed very clear they disliked the castle.  They had been fearful and did no wish to be near it's next tenant - lest they be asked over for dinner.  
  
  
 _"What's that noise?"  
  
"Oh, that's just the screams of the dead rising from the pits of hell.  Do you want more tea?"  
_  
  
The thought actually made you snort, which made you a bit happier that you hadn't turned into a loon; humor did wonders to oneself.  Marguerite even looked happier at your amusement, even if she didn't know why you were less gloomy.    
  
The carriage shuttered a bit as it made it's way down the rough path and onto the cobblestone road, the ride becoming just a bit smoother then it had been the past hour down the mountain.  You waited patiently until your door was opened and you were helped out, holding up your dress a bit so you didn't step on it.  Your boots lightly clacked on the road and you looked around, watching a few people walk around and buy their groceries.  They didn't seem to notice you all that much, which was better then petrified stares, so you took this as a good sign.  
  
Marguerite came to your side and smiled, holding out her arm and pointing down one of the streets, having visited earlier that week for supplies.  "The clothing shops are that way.  They make their own outfits here since they're so far from civilization."  
  
That made sense, most likely there were sheep farmers just on the other side of the town raising stock to make the wool.  
  
"Their bread is delicious, especially if you put cinnamon on it."  The blonde grinned widely as she pointed at a bakery, "Actually, they have a lot of specialties made with bread."  
  
She started to drag you down the street, naming off many strange sounding dishes and how they had an eclair in this, a bagel on that, or a loaf in what stew.  You let her words distract you from any thoughts on the castle, on the dreams, on the jar.  Just everything, like you were shutting down and sleep walking.   
  
It was nice.  
  
  
  
You were measured and poked at with hands and sometimes needles, a small woman running around her tiny shop located in her tiny home.  Fabrics of many different colors and styles hung from where they could, doors, racks, ceiling beams while also piling on tables and surfaces that were free with space.  You were sure if you took out all the textile the shop would actually be quite big.  
  
"Three day."  The puny woman said, holding up three long fingers after she finished your measurements.  "I finish."  
  
Marguerite nodded and haggled over price until both were satisfied.  You were then hustled about the town, your attendant showing you unique shops that held vases, furniture, trinkets, and many varieties of goods.  It was all quite interesting, most of the designs and woodwork of each item looking intricate with animals and flowers much like the castle at the top of the mountain.    
  
You were outside a small stall that had wooden bowls and plates with sheep carved into them when an old woman grabbed your wrist and looked at your palm.  
  
"Little doe, little doe."  
  
You looked at her warily, her headscarf unable to cover her wild, curly grey hair.  She wore colorful clothes that were tattered with rips, holes, and dirt.  The hem of her scarf showed signs of missing coins, possibly used to buy food or just lost from running around on the streets.  She was very old and looked a bit crazed, her body giving off a smell of flowery perfume and ash.  
  
You tried to tug your hand away but her grip was strong, her long finger tracing the lines on your palm as if she were reading them.  You looked around and tried to signal for Marguerite but the blonde was no where in sight, the crowd having grown a bit the later in the day it was.  
  
"Wakeful, finding, and losing, losing, losing," she tugged your hand closer to her face.  You noticed her eyes were glazed over and milky, clearly blind yet still 'reading'.  She had been beautiful once, but years of of hard, mountain weather toughened her skin and plant wrinkles of age around her eyes and cracked lips.  She looked up at you, mouth open and showing nothing but a handful of teeth in dry, pink gums.  Her tongue twitched as she stared shakily at you, like she was going to collapse when her bones finally turned to dust.  
  
"Leave."  Her voice brought you back to attention, confusion and curiosity keeping you in place as she continued.  "Three have fallen before you and delirium invites itself in."    
  
Her eyes were wide and haunting, her hands moved as she spoke, looking like she was snatching something and pulling it close to her chest with her yellow, broken nails.  "A ship lost at sea, a copy, souls that forever wander."  
  
She kept looking over your shoulder at something, but each time you turned to see, nothing was there.  
  
"Leave.  Leave.  LEAVE.  LEAVE!!"  
  
Then she was pushing you away, shooing you into the crowd until a large group of people pushed between the two of you and force you to stumble back a few paces.  It was then that you lost sight of her, having gone as quickly as she had arrived.  
  
You shifted, looking around in confusion as your chest clenched with anxiety.  You felt a bit of water hit your cheek and you looked up to see storm clouds approaching and rain start to fall.  Sadness and fear seemed to overwhelm you as the sky rumbled high above, signaling there was going to be thunder and lightning.  
  
You wished you had the jar.  
  
And as soon as the thought crossed your mind, you loathed yourself even more.  
  
  
~  
  
  
"There's a lot of interesting things in here," Marguerite grinned, pulling a yellow dress out from one of the dresser drawers and airing it out.    
  
You both were in the room where the mirror had originally been, going through the rest of the furniture and deciding what would stay and what would go.  You had remembered there were clothes from the previous owners of the castle in the dresser and had decided to look at the outfits.  Most of it was full of old dresses that were probably in style when your grandmother was a girl, low necklines that would stop at just the swell of the breast and fabric that laid gently against the skin with no other layers underneath.  They were all in good condition and you even thought of keeping a few of them.  
  
When you were searching around in the bottom drawer, you found something hidden under some of the older clothes.  You pushed aside the fabric and found that it was an old journal, it's cover an emerald green with gold lines on the edges.  
  
You pulled it out and opened it, finding handwritten words printed on the yellow paper in ink.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
You flipped through a few pages and saw they had dates at the top.  "I believe it's a journal..."  
  
Marguerite _ooohed_ and pulled out another dress, glad you found another interesting thing to occupy your time here.  "This place has many treasures~!!"  
  
You bit your lower lip and closed the journal, not sure you wished to find any other treasures this place may or may not have.  
  
You decided to retire to your room for the rest of the day, feeling you had used up enough energy to last a lifetime.  Marguerite didn't say anything, despite there being more hours of daylight left (though it was hard to tell with the stormy sky thundering above), but she did give you a worried look as you left; wishing she knew what wrong with you lately.     
  
You paid no mind though, feeling it would be too much to explain.  How this place was driving you crazy, how you wished you could just give up and go back to your old home.  How you wanted your father to just be here, to tell you there was no such things as ghosts, monsters, devils.    
  
But it was probably all in your head and you were just losing touch with reality.  That seemed likely at this point.  
  
  
  
You had thought about reading a novel but found yourself taking the journal with you to bed, opening it up to the first entry and lean against your headboard.  The writing took a bit of time to get used to, you had to adjust your light a bit until you could finally read some of the text.  You found yourself staring down at the page, glad the text was in english and making it easier for you without worrying over translations.  
  
  


_July 6th, 1805_

 

_Success!_

 

_What wonderful luck we have!  Because of the families new fortune, we can buy a summer home!  Our very own summer home!   Oh, I do hope it is somewhere exotic.  I would love a mansion, one that would make all my friends green with envy._

 

_I voiced my wish for a large home and then Abigail called me childish.  We fought about it until Lettie finally told us to be quiet.  She was trying to write her letter to Davy and we were distracting her._

 

_Older sisters are a pain._

 

 

 

_July 7th, 1805_

 

_Father says he found a place for us in the far north.  He was really happy but refused to tell us what it was like.  I wish he wasn't so keen on keeping it a surprise..._

 

 

_July 9th, 1805_

 

_We're going to Anna's coming out party tomorrow-_

 

 

 

You stopped reading and frowned, wondering just how old this girl was before skipping ahead a few entries and skimming a few of them.  Most of the journal seemed to be about the girl and her daily life at home, her friends, her drama.  It seemed like a regular journal until you reached the page where they spend their first trip in their new vacation home...

 

 

 

_October 18th, 1805_

 

_A castle!  A real castle!!!  Father has done it!  He has made us all princesses and I can't believe it!  A true castle!!  It's so beautiful and big and truly amazing._

 

_Everything has been scrubbed and cleaned just for our arrival, the staff greeted us so greatly and I felt like I was really, truly royal.   It's just so wondrous here that I don't even miss the idea of being close to civilization!_

 

 

 

_October 19th, 1805_

 

_Lettie is talking about Davy again, her precious sailor boy who's sailing the seas and just the usual lovesickness she spews at us.  It makes me want to gag._

 

_She even went out and commissioned a painting of Davy's assigned ship.  Abigail and I managed to change the order to a picture of his ship fighting off a wave at sea.  Lettie wasn't happy when she got the commission and ended up getting the painting for free._

 

_It's funny how much she hates it but keeps it hung in her room as she moons over Davy again._

 

_Abigail says the next time she talks about her 'Lovely Sailor Boy' she'll burn the damn thing._

 

 

 

_October 21st, 1805_

 

_Abigail found an old mirror in the basement.  It was just sitting in the middle of the room in the dark, collecting dust._

 

_I told her it was creepy but she still took it to her room.  It cleaned up pretty good, but now all she does is stare at herself all the time.  She can't pass it without turning her face to look at her cheeks or hair, and then she gets this dumb little smirk that made her look superior to us plebeians._

 

_The stupid thing is stupid and she isn't even that pretty!!_

 

 

_October 25th, 1805_

 

_I heard the door to my closet slam open this morning.  It freaked me out and woke me up.  It just stood open and when I checked it out, I found nothing._

 

_Lettie called me a baby and said it was just the wind._

 

_Coming from a closet.  My sisters are idiots._

 

 

 

_October 26th, 1805_

 

_Father is leaving for a business trip.  He's going to sell some rugs to some big client back in London.  He promised to be back for the rest of the vacation in a week or so._

 

_It seems kind of sad he's leaving for business.  Now it's just me, Abigail, Lettie, and the staff..._

 

 

 

_October 30th, 1805_

 

_Lettie's getting anxious.  She hasn't received her weekly letter from Davy and is starting to act like a spoilt brat._

 

_"Move out of the way, Charlotte!"_

_"Don't tell me to calm down!"_

_"Our love is too strong to be broken so easily!"_

 

_Sometimes I dream of being an only child..._

 

 

 

_November 3rd, 1805_

 

_Abigail got mad at me when I was in her room and trying on her clothes.  It's not like they won't be mine soon, I get all the hand-me-downs so I might as well try them on._

 

_It was kind of strange, she was more mad that I was using her mirror then me wearing her dresses...She's so weird._

 

 

 

_November 5th, 1805_

 

_My closet door slammed open again.  But this time it's the middle of the night and I really don't want to get out of bed to close it.  Everything looks further away and I feel like something will snatch at my ankles and drag me under the bed..._

 

_It's so stupid.  I'm fourteen and I'm still afraid of monsters._

 

 

 

_November 7th, 1805_

 

_Lettie is really upset.  There hasn't been a letter to her since mid-October and she's starting to think Davy doesn't love her anymore._

 

_I told her to get over it but she just cried and ran off to look at her painting._

 

_I kind of feel bad..._

 

 

 

_November 9th, 1805_

 

_The stable boy was kicked by a horse today.  He's fine, but it was the first time a horse had hurt him.  He's been working with them his whole life and claims he had never seen them so scared.  He said it had a wild look in it's eyes like it had seen something devil-like.  I think he might have over-exaggerated a bit._

 

 

 

_November 10th, 1805_

 

_Lettie finally received a letter.  It was wrapped in black ribbon and had the Navy's official Seal._

 

_I didn't have to read it to know that had Davy died at sea.  The look of horror and despair was clear on her face before she started to cry...My heart hurts for her._

 

_It hurt even more when she told Abigail and me that they had planned to wed as soon as he came back to shore._

 

 

 

_November 17th, 1805_

 

_Lettie hasn't left her room.  She looks sick and tired and she cries every time she looks at the painting of the ship in trouble at sea._

 

_Abigail doesn't have the patience to deal with her.  She just talks about how Lettie should be strong and move on to someone else.  I think it's pretty harsh considering Lettie and Davy had planned to marry, but Abigail just ignores me and brushes her hair in the mirror._

 

_I kind of wish her stupid brush gets tangled in a knot and gets stuck there._

 

 

 

_November 18th, 1805_

 

_One of the staff fell down the stairs and broke their neck.  She slipped on some water and just tumbled down.  I'd heard it all from the dining hall and found her just as everyone did._

 

_I felt a bit faint, really really faint.  It's not something I wanted to see._

 

_They said they sent her back home, but I think she died and they refuse to tell me._

 

_I don't want them to tell me._

 

 

 

_November 24th, 1805_

 

_Lettie's acting strange.  She carries the picture with her everywhere now.  She's eating, but she holds the thing in her lap like it's a child and she traces the ship when she thinks no one is looking._

 

_She gazes at the ship like it's really Davy's, whispers loving words to it then stares at the lighthouse at the shore, as if praying it'd lead her lost love on a safe journey._

 

_It's really scaring me._

 

 

 

_November 28th, 1805_

 

_One of the cooks left in the middle of the night.  No note, no signs of wanting to leave._

 

_They didn't even take their things with them.  They just...left._

 

 

 

_November 29th, 1805_

 

_Abigail will stand in front of that stupid mirror for hours, primping and preening and making kissy faces at herself.  It's almost comical._

 

_She even missed dinner because she was trying on some of her dresses in front of it, looking smug and ugh!  She's so annoying!_

 

 

 

_December 3rd, 1805_

 

_My closet door is creaking open.  I'm scared.  It's so loud and this room is so quiet.  What's pushing it open? What's living inside it?  Oh god oh god oh god-_

 

 

 

_December 3rd, 1805_

 

_I feel like such a baby.  Nothing happened at all!  Nothing was in my stupid closet and I'm an idiot for running away like that.  Lettie let me jump into bed with her when she found me banging on her door.  She seemed like her normal self when she let me in and even rubbed my head to calm me down._

 

_It was nice until she started to sing 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' and then it was just eerie._

 

_I kind of wanted to go back to my room..._

 

 

 

_December 7th, 1805_

 

_Abigail is thinner.  I don't think she's been eating.  She says she's fine, but her clothes are loose and she hides her food in her napkin when no one is paying attention.  But I always pay attention._

 

_Just as much as she seems to do in front of that mirror.  She just stares at herself now.  She doesn't make any faces or smooth down her hair or look at her clothes._

 

_Just at her reflection, never blinking._

 

 

 

_December 10th, 1805_

 

_One of the stone gargoyles fell from the wall.  I watched it, like time had slowed down, as it landed on the gardener and crushed his skull._

 

_There was...oh god, it was everywhere._

 

  
_I felt so sick.  I can't get the image from my mind.  I still feel_ sick.   


 

 

 

_December 11th, 1805_

 

_Where's father?  Why hasn't he come back yet?  I want to go home.  I don't like this place anymore!  I don't want to be a princess!!!_

 

 

 

_December 13th, 1805_

 

_Lettie keeps talking about the ocean.  How she misses the ocean and it's wonderful waves and salty breeze and the sand that would sink warmly between her toes._

 

_She cried in the middle of this and wailed for Davy's name.  Abigail didn't say a thing, just got up from the table without touching her food and left me to pick up the pieces._

 

_She's so cold._

 

 

 

_December 15th, 1805_

 

_I heard a scream.  I know I did.  It came from the basement.  It was loud and horrible and inhuman and I can't stop crying.  Oh please god, take me home._

 

 

 

_December 16th, 1805_

 

_Abigail keeps combing her hair.  She'll spend hours and hours in front of the mirror, brushing the same strands over and over and over.  I think she's pulling some of it out by doing this, her brown curly hair that I was so jealous of now looks as thin as her body._

 

_What is happening to my sisters???_

 

 

 

_December 18th, 1805_

 

_Lettie was crying in her room.  She just sobbed over her picture and moaned about the ocean, rocking on her bed and not looking at me when I called her name.  I left her alone._

 

 

 

_December 21st, 1805_

 

_Most of the staff have left.  They refuse to work here, they say it's cursed.  I believe them._

 

 

 

_December 22nd, 1805_

 

_Abigail smiles and brushes her hair over and over and over.  She calls herself beautiful despite how skeletal she was looking and how much hair she had lost._

 

_I want to go home._

 

 

 

_December 23rd, 1805_

 

_Today was normal.  I walked the garden and nothing happened.  I felt happy, I felt normal.  But I can't get rid of the dread building inside me.  I want to run away so much.  I want to save my sisters, but I can't do a damn thing._

 

_It ruined my entire mood._

 

 

 

_December...December, 1805_

 

_I don't know what to do.  I thought I could never rid myself of the image of the maid twisted on the ground or of the gardner who's head was crushed under a stone devil._

 

_But something much worse has happened.  I saw it all.  I saw it all and I did nothing._

 

_I thought my closet door to my room had opened and I'd woken up, ready to be frightened into another sleepless night.  But it wasn't the closet.  It was Lettie coming into my room.  Lettie ignoring me as she walked towards the balcony and opened the doors._

 

_Lettie stepping out into the cold wind and looking at the mountains._

 

_I got off the bed to ask her what was wrong, but watched in horror as she climbed the railing, barefoot and night dress flying about her as she neared the edge._

 

_I had screamed her name, but she only turned to me and smiled before saying her final words to me._

 

_"I can't wait to see the ocean."_

 

  
_And then she jumped.  She jumped right off the balcony and out of my tower.  I saw it all and did_ nothing!!!!   


 

_Abigail didn't react when she was told, just stared at me blankly before going back to looking into her mirror._

 

 

 

_December 29th, 1805_

 

_Christmas wasn't the same.  There was no Lettie to sing carols and tell silly jokes.  Abigail didn't complain about the food or how I put up bad decorations._

 

_Father still hasn't come back or sent word._

 

_We're stuck here, oh good lord we're stuck here!!_

 

 

 

_December 30th, 1805_

 

_Abigail has locked herself in her room and refuses to come out.  She's skin and bones now and she's going to starve, but she refuses to let us inside._

 

_I know what's she's doing though.  She's looking into that mirror.  She's brushing her hair and staring at her blank, lifeless eyes._

 

_We had to get the stable hand to break down the door and drag her away from the mirror, kicking and screaming.  She clawed at the poor man while I got some of the help to take the mirror away.  She sounded like a banshee when we took it from her room and I worried for my life for the first time when she looked at me with such hatred._

 

 

 

_January 2nd, 1806_

 

_Abigail is breaking everything she can get her hands on.  Especially if it has a reflection._

 

_I have to lock my door at night, fearful she will come in and cut my throat.  She's turned into a monster._

 

 

 

_January 4th, 1806_

 

_My crazy sister found a spoon and won't stop looking at it.  She just cries and stares at herself, groaning about how it's not the same as her precious mirror._

 

_I would kill her myself if I wasn't so frightened of her._

 

 

 

_January 6th, 1806_

 

_I stared out of my balcony today.  I looked down the tall tower and into the very cliff that Lettie launched herself from._

 

_My heart ached and I quickly went back inside.  I don't want to think about this anymore._

 

 

 

_January 8th, 1806_

 

_They found her in the garden.  Laying motionless and just...dead._

 

_Abigail looked like some lifeless doll, too thin to be human and hair almost all but fallen out.  She clutched the spoon in her hand like a lifeline and it made me feel sick all over again._

 

_I'm leaving.  I can't take it.  I'm leaving leaving leaving leavingleavingleavingleaving-_

 

 

 

_January 11th, 1806_

 

_Open close open close open close open close._

 

_Make up your mind._

 

 

 

_January 12th, 1806_

 

_I can hear the heavy breathing.  It's coming from my closet._

 

_It's closed._

 

_Please please please please please don't open._

 

 

 

_January 13th, 1806_

 

_It's back.  It's louder.  It wants to kill me._

 

_Someone save me, please!!!_

 

 

 

_January 13th, 1806_

 

_It's gone.  The door is shut._

 

_I can finally sleep._

 

 

 

_January 21st, 1806_

 

  
_I saw her.  She jumped and fell down down down down down_ **down down down down downdowndowndowndowndownDOWNDOWNDOWNDOWNDOWNDOWN-**   


 

 

 

_January 22nd, 1806_

 

_It's so pretty outside today.  Abigail seemed to really love it and even relaxed.  Lettie talked about Davy again and I gagged.  She was a good sport about my little joke and we all laughed._

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 24th, 1806_

 

_Abigail let me wear one of her best dresses today.  She thought I looked beautiful and showed me many beauty tips.  She smiled at me in the mirror when she fixed my collar._

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_Lettie showed me some of her poetry.  All about Davy of course.  She's so simple sometimes._

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_Abigail smiled at me in the mirror.  She looked so pretty, so beautiful.  She won't have any trouble finding a handsome man._

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_Lettie keeps falling, she won't stop.  She won't stop._

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th, 1806_

 

_I love my sisters._

 

 

 

_January 25th-_

 

  
You frowned and flipped through the pages, the same entry now repeating over and over and over for the rest of the journal and leaving you confused, and quite frankly, scared.  
  
Was this really true?  Did this all happen?  Or was a fourteen year old writing tales and spinning horrors for whoever found her diary?  
  
Unease settled over you, feeling like all of this had really happened.  A bit of it even ringing true to what was going on with you.  The screams, the strange events, someone dying in an accident...  
  
None of this put you at ease as you looked up, staring at the covered mirror that was possibly the same one Abigail had been staring into.  Then you looked to the balcony where it was obvious that Lettie had jumped from, it's description plain in the diary entry of her death.  
  
Then you dragged your eyes over to the closet just beside the mirror, wondering if it ever opened and closed on it's own without your knowledge.  
  
The image made you shiver and you quickly slammed the journal shut, wishing you had never found it.  
  
You could feel anxiety creep up once more, making you rock back and forth in your bed as your chest heaved and lungs clawed for air.  This place was definitely insane, no doubt sending people spiraling into madness and leaving nothing but their horrors and tales of terror behind.  
  
You were going to cry.  You weren't strong enough for this and you held no power here.  You were just some girl who wanted to be normal.   
  
Before realizing it, you were reaching for the jar and holding it close, a calm easily washing over you and making your mind feel less like a hive of worker bees.  You scowled and clutched the wretched jar in your hands, wondering if this was how you were to die here, clinging to some human remains and found dead in the garden.  
  
The image made you nauseous.  It made you nauseous and pathetic and you didn't want to do it anymore.  You didn't want this anymore and you certainly didn't want to **die.**  
  
It was too bad that you had no choice in the matter of your fate.  Because at that moment the sun had finally set behind the roaring storm clouds and the candle, your only source of light, flickered out.  
  
Your breathing stopped and you found yourself staring into the darkness, body tense and skin crawling with shivers.  You turned your eyes to look at the flashing sky and watched as lightning shoot across the dark clouds in an amazing display of light and power.  
  
You hugged the jar close to your chest as you felt something wrap around your waist once more, almost snake-like and deadly.  You felt hot breath puff into your ear, lingering there for a brief moment before you felt him move to scrape his teeth lightly teeth your neck.  He pulled you into his lap as his fingers dug into your skin without mercy, his touch made you shiver and his voice made you shrink away.  
  
He whispered something to you.  
  
But you didn't hear it, the voice too quiet as thunder boomed outside your tower.  
  
You could only focus on the arms wrapped achingly around you, pulling you closer and closer until it almost felt too impossible to be this close to another human being.  It made your heart race in fear and your body tremble in terror.  
  
Clinging to the jar, you hoped this was just another dream.  Something you would soon wake up from.  
  
Wake up, wake up, wake up!!


	6. Chapter 6

You couldn’t see.

Everything was so dark in your room and you **_couldn’t see_**.

Thunder boomed once more, momentarily lighting up the tower and stretching the shadows disturbingly tall on the walls.  That split second made everything much more macabre and grotesque, as if their shadows exposed the monsters living in each nook and cranny.  It was your one moment to fully grasp what was around you, but all that you could gather were a pair of long arms tightening around your middle while you felt a head lay against your neck, discouraging you to look over your shoulder at the man.  And oh god, you could _feel_ everything.   You could feel his arms slowly crush you against him, painful enough to make them go numb with ache.  They refused to budge and merely held onto you that much harder.  His fingers were just as merciless, digging into your skin and piercing your flesh with their claw-like nails; they were so sharp that you feared you were already bloody and bruised.

All this pain, all this **agony** he was giving was nothing compared to the turmoil you felt when his lips brushed against your neck, soft and affectionate as he gently started to knead your skin for just a few seconds.  It was very much like a tender lover, like someone rewarding their partner with butterfly kisses.  This is what feared you the most.  Nothing good came from a person who hid their true intentions, whether to kill you, love you, or lead you into a false sense of security.  It was like asking for a knife in the back.

You gasped, a sharp fang gracing your throat and making your heart feel like it wanted to explode in your chest.

Then he spoke, tone low and delicate; just barely audible over the rain pounding against your windows.

“ _Where is it?_ ”

He sounded breathless, tired.  As soon as you sensed this, his grasp tightened around you.  But instead of a loving embrace, it was a bone-crunching hurt that made it feel as if your limbs would snap in half and it only grew tighter until you choked out a gasp.  Despite all this, you managed to keep from crying, though you were holding on by just a thread.  Your arms were still folded to your chest from what had been a gesture of fear and protection, but now they felt awkward and uncomfortable as they were crushed under the force of this man until they lost all circulation.  If there was any source of pleasure, it was the damned heart; the object of his desire wrapped so protectively in your fingers.  The cold glass made you believe this was all real, that you weren't going insane and that all these things were truly happening.  Should you be happy?  Should you have wished that this had all been in your head?

You jerked as his teeth started to slowly sink into your neck, almost breaking the skin and spilling blood all down your front just like in your dream...

"H-Here!  I have it!!"

He stopped, restraint still tight and firm as he shifted behind you.  You weren't sure what he was doing but didn't have a chance to figure it out as his arms removed themselves from your body.  You felt lighter, slightly relieved that you weren't to be crushed to death.  This feeling was short lived when he moved his hands forward to snatch your wrists in an agonizing grip, forcing them away from your chest and out to where he could see them.  His silence worried you.  It made your heart stop beating and your breath hold in anticipation.

Then you felt something rumble against your back and realized it was his chest.  It felt like light fingers tapping against your skin and not at all unpleasant.  That is, until you realized it was him growling.

" _What have you done to it?_ "

The words came out in a deep snarl that made your skin crawl and the hairs on the back of your neck rise, goosebumps rippling across your skin in a wave.  You had to run, you had to get away before he killed you.  He was going to feast on your flesh while you were still breathing and laugh at your despair.  You had to run, RUN, **RUN!!!!!!**  

Without thinking, you wiggled and jerked in his hold, kicking and pushing at the bed sheets for some leverage to escape.  He was going to hurt you, rip out your very heart and crush it between his fingers.  But he crushed your wrists in his hands instead, making them strain under his monstrous strength until they felt close to snapping; the pain forced you to arch right into his chest while your legs continued to struggle.

You sobbed, now feeling the wet tears finally trail down your cheeks, "I d-didn't do anything!!"

The man hissed into your ear, jerking your hands right into your face to look right at the jar.  " _Take this back where you found it._ "

Why was he so angry?  You had it!!  You had it and he should just take it!!  Oh god, he was hurting you so much.  Why couldn't he just take the cursed thing and leave you alone!?  Confused, you tried to look over your shoulder at him, but he gave your wrists another rough shake.  

" _ **GO!!**_ "

Before you could fathom what was happening, you were pushed roughly off the bed and onto the floor, body smacking into cold stone just as another round of lightning spiderwebbed across the sky.  Your dress was high up your legs and your hair was in disarray and you felt like a driveling mess.  It took so much effort just to sit up, your arms trembling and weak as you braced them against the floor.  The jar had fallen from your hands and rolled away somewhere, abandoning you in your time of need.  You got to your knees shakily and turned to look on your bed and were shocked to see no one there, even in the darkness you saw no human shape or sign of life.  

Your hands flew to your neck where the stranger had nearly bitten you and still felt the raw skin where he'd been kneading it.  Was this real?  You hadn't just fallen out of bed from a nightmare??  Oh god, did you want it to be real?  Did you want to face this every single night with no reprieve?! 

Your throbbing wrists were your only answer.

Light flashed across the room as a long streak of lightning and thunder roared.  The momentary source of light gave you a chance to locate the jar that held the demon's heart.  Scanning the room quickly, you found it laying right beside the old mirror, the object still covered in the sheet you'd thrown over it out of desperate anger.  

And then it was dark once more, accompanied with the sound of heavy rain and your flustered breathing.  

Scrambling, you felt the floor until you had the item and clung to it with fierceness.  You rocked there for a few seconds, cradling the jar close as you tried to calm your racing heart.  This small, horrifying moment did wonders for you, giving you the strength to stand up and stumble towards your door.  To think, a mummified heart was giving you strength.  The thought made you feel like you were damaged beyond repair.

No more.  No more of any of this.  If some monster wanted you to put back the object of your misery, who were you to say no?  It didn't matter if it made you feel safe from this castle, from these terrifying ghosts and their stories and from the very demon who orchestrated it all.  You wanted it all gone, you wished to be free!!

You longed to go home.

It took a bit to leave your room, your wobbling legs hindering your progress as you tried to go down the little flight of stairs that led to the room's entrance.  You were just so frightened.  Nothing seemed right anymore and you knew if you stayed in this room you'd only be tortured by this creature who thinks you've done something to his heart.  All this kept running over and over in your head until the diary's words started to echo continuously in your mind to the point of wanting to make you weep.

_"I don't want to be a princess!!"  "I don't want to be a princess!!"_

When you finally made it through your door you found yourself more stable then before, able to stand upright while your legs fully supported your weight without threatening to collapse.  It made you feel a little bit better and thankful that you could now make it down the many flights of stairs that led to your tower room.  You had some kind of control again and that sense of control made you feel braver.

But you weren't going to take any chances, you moved close to the stone wall and braced it with one arm while your feet felt around for the first step.  The torches weren't lit so you were alone in the darkness, alone and vulnerable.

There were no windows on the curving tower wall, no thunder or lightning to show you where to step and how far you had to go.  You were blind.  You had nothing to defend yourself in this depressing castle and were too scared to go back to your room to face the consequences of not returning the jar to it's rightful place.  

It took eight long, agonizing minutes before you made it down the first step, waiting for some hand to snap out and jerk your ankles so you would tumble down down down down down down-

No.   **Stop.**  You weren't going to trip.  Nothing was going to attack you and nothing was going to keep you from ending this madness.  

Steeling yourself, you proceeded down the next step.  Then the next and the next and soon you were going at a steady pace down the dark tower.  

The air felt damp and humid, the rain water soaking into the old stone and making your skin sticky with sweat.  Despite it being the cool season, the temperature felt uncomfortably warm, the only relief being the cold wall you leaned against.  You could feel the moisture against your dragging fingers as you slowly made it downwards, coating your hand and making it damp with rain and dirt.  You could hear the sound of water dripping onto the floor, a soft contrast to your heavy breathing and bare feet padding against stone.  

_Drip.     Drip.     Drip.     Drip._

You found comfort in this noise and anticipated hearing the next drop of water splashing to the ground.   _Drip._  It made you stand up a little straighter and walk in bolder steps.   _Drip._  Soon you found yourself pacing to the sound, placing your bare feet down in tempo with each drop of rain.   _Drip._

You were fine.  Everything was going to be okay.

_Drip.     Drip._

Tears welled up again and you smiled, so happy something was going right.  Something wasn't trying to stop you or scare you out of your wits.   _Drip._  You reached up and wiped an eye, heart feeling like it was finally settling down after pounding so hard and quick for so long.  It was silly, but it was the only light you had in this situation.  For once, you felt brave and bold, strong and mighty.   _Drip._   You felt normal again.  All of this flooded into you and you found yourself going faster down the steps, knowing you were finally nearing the end.  It was easy, the water was dripping down faster too, it gave you a pace in this long, unforgiving stairway.   _Drip.Drip.Drip._

  


Your foot slipped and you just barely caught yourself before you went sliding down.  Your arm bracing the wall managed to keep steady as you righted yourself.  You didn't go any further, just took a few deep breaths as you tried to figure out how much longer you had to go.  Ten?  Maybe thirteen more steps?

Wait...

Your heart rate sped up and you swiveled your head around in panic, searching and straining to hear. 

"Where is it?"  You whimpered and clung to the stone before pushing your back fully against the wall, scurrying as close as you could.  "Where is it?!  Where is it?!!"

It'd stopped!!  The dripping had stopped!!  No more splash of water or drops that penetrated the daunting silence of the tower.  No more calming sounds of rain!  No more safety!!  Your fingers tightened around the glass jar, holding it close to your own chest in hope that the still-heart would convince your beating one to slow down.  

And then you were crying.  Your legs felt weak again as you tried to stay standing.

"It's gone," You wailed faintly.  "Why, why, why, why??!"

But you had to keep going.  You were almost there, you could feel it in your very bones.  You had to get this heart back to the chapel, back to where it could be locked up and you could be free of this insanity.  With a shaky breath, you forced your leg to move forward without the help of the rain and it's safe, reassuring tempo.

Oh god, what was wrong with you?

You were so pathetic, crying over rain like a child who was caught in it the first time.  When had you become this way?  Were you even the same person anymore?  Were you going to launch yourself from your tower window one day in hopes of a better afterlife?  Anger replaced some of your fear and urged you forward once more, looking more resolute in your steps downward.  

You were glad it was dark, glad nothing could see your bottom lip tremble and tears fall from your eyes.

It wasn't too much longer until you finally reached the bottom of the stairwell and felt around until you found the handle to a door.  You pushed it open quickly, eager to get out of the dark tower and it's soundless existence and into the great hall.  

The door was loud as you opened it, it's groan echoing off the grand chamber from one corner to the next and back to you.  There were a few candles lit on the long table, though they were almost melted down all the way, their wax spread out across the wooden surface.  This wasn't adequate light, but you didn't need it.  The tall windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling gave exactly what you needed.

The dark sky loomed and rumbled and it almost seemed like the rain had stopped, only very light sprinkles coating the glass and running down it in long trails.  The room was freezing and felt much bigger without anyone walking around with clothes, food, or tools in hand.  It was eerily quiet and the little light you got from outside didn't illuminate everything.  There were still corners and crevices that were cloaked in shadow, the high ceiling was pitch black and hid anything that may swoop down on you and snatch at your hair.  The furniture that had been brought with you and arranged in ways to be comfortable in the day now looked foreboding and suspicious at night, making you unsure of what was really there or not.

It made you marvel that you had been able to explore it your very first night without fear.  Perhaps you really had been a different person then...

Pushing the thought away to be analyzed later, you decided that the quickest way to the chapel was through your father's room.  The door was the next one over from your own and you would only have to cross the garden where the man had fallen to his death and another had been crushed by a statue of a gargoyle...where Abigail had been found.

No, enough!  Both hands now gripping the jarred heart, you ran to your father's door and swung it open.  Inside was the tiny hallway that led to his quarters, still untouched by it's owner.  The wall leading to it had been fixed, the hole long gone and a stained glass window put in it's place.  You passed it quickly, eyes glancing at the picture of a gold cross with rainbow shards decorating the edges.

You glared, wishing it would give you some sense of protection.  But there was no time for that, you had to hurry.  You wanted this done.

It was a short hallway, so you were already opening the door to your father's room where everything had been arranged to what you all believed he would like.  No longer was the furniture covered in sheets and placed in the very center of the room.  Now his bed was up against the far left wall, made up and clean as it waited for it's master to finally use it.  The wooden desk where your father would write his papers was on the opposite next to the bookshelf, many titles of historical significance cluttering the shelves.  His knick knacks were on his mantle piece, clothes folded and hung neatly in the wardrobe just over by the closet.  

All it needed was your father to finally feel like home.

And just across the way was the other door leading to the garden, to the chapel, _**to the finish line.**_

You rushed forward with your nightgown sticking to your body from the humidity and moisture, the cold hall you'd been in previously doing nothing to help you; you touched the handle and made to open it but stopped at the sound of a hushed sob.

Your shoulders tensed and your breath hitched, knowing that had not been your own.  Should you keep going?  Did you dare turn?

Another.  Louder, but gentle and sad.

It was a woman, her keening slowly being heard over the soft rumbling of thunder outside.  

"Please..."

You froze, gradually turning to the sound of the voice who'd called out to you.  Right next to the door you'd just come through was a tall mirror, not nearly as much as the one in your room, but still big enough to take in your whole silhouette if one were standing in front of it.  It was ordinary and plain, nothing of note other then the girl who was standing in it, her back to you with her face in her hands.

She was slight and pale in her yellow nightgown, as if she had just been woken from a nightmare like you and was seeking comfort.  She was taller then you and sported long, curly brown hair that reached down to the waist in beautiful waves.  It was so pristine and glorious, you were sure anyone would wish to comb their fingers through it.

"Please, don't do it."  She said softly, never turning to you as you stared in awe at the vision in the mirror.  You found yourself stepping closer, curious.

"Don't do what...?"  Was this your chance for answers?  A spirit who wished to help?  "What don't you want me to do?"

The girl sobbed again, crouching to her knees and rocking back and forth on her heels.  "Don't don't don't!!"

You felt a wave of pity wash over you and was soon standing just in front the object.  You swallowed.  "Please, tell me...I want to help."

Her rocking slowed and she sniffled, shoulders shaking in grief.  "Don't put it back...If you put the heart back, you'll die."

You felt like someone was gripping your lungs, squeezing all the air out as you tried to think of a way to respond.  Was she telling the truth?  Were you truly walking to your death?  It was possible...

"I have to-"

"No!!"  The mirror shook and made you step back, eyes wide in fright.  She quieted again, "Don't go.  Don't go.  Don't go!"

You paused, letting her cries settle down a little before you took a step forward, hesitant to say anything.  "Abigail...?"

The closet door across the room slammed open and caused you to jump and look it's way.  The tiny room was pitch black and the door swung lazily after it slammed against the wall, moving to close before finally stopping halfway.

"Don't go-!!"  Something brushed your ankle and you stumbled back when you realized a hand had reached out to grab you.  You watched in horror as the limb tried to desperately snatch for your dress, realizing as the room lit up from the storm outside that the whole arm was rotting.  Skin hung off the bone, raw and red mixed with oozing browns that showed signs of decay.  The smell hit you just as quickly, rotten eggs and meat that was mixed with mud and dried blood.  You almost fell backwards but kept your balance as you tried to find the source of the arm only to realize it was coming from the mirror.

And there she was, turned to face you now, wondrous curly hair framing a decomposing face.  Her cheeks were peeling away from the white bones beneath, her nose was no longer there as a gaping hole glared in it's place.  She had no lips, long rotted away while yellow teeth clacked at you like a rat.  

She had no eyes.  Just black craters that stared straight at you as the creature clumsily crawled out of the mirror, voice now raspy as if trying to forever gasp it's last breath.  " _Give it to me!!_ "

You screamed.   

Backing away, you turned to go back to the door before she grasped your leg, soft fleshy fingers digging into your skin and almost causing you to fall.  You turned and kicked her face, disgust coiling inside you when you felt her bare teeth slam against the top of your foot and snag your skin.  Her neck snapped back with a loud crack, hanging at an awkward angle as she collapsed into the ground and wailed.

She gazed up at you, somehow looking more rotted away and very, very angry.  " _ **Give me the heart!!!**_ "

You turned and ran, slamming open the door as the sound of scuttling followed after you, knowing she was crawling as fast as she could to try and snag at your dress, knees and elbows most likely bent at awkward angles from the loss of muscle and skin.  Just as you reached the other side of the doorway, you slammed it shut, pushing against it with all your strength as a scream rattled on the other side.

" _It's mine!!  It's mine!!!_ "

Breathing heavy, you turned and started to run down the long hall, not wishing to stay any longer.  

You'd almost forgotten that this hall was lined with mirrors all the way down, making you glimpse at yourself and seeing exactly what you'd seen that fateful night.  You looked so tired, so exhausted and terrified.

But your reflection was joined with another, a woman catching up to you with stumbling swiftness; the same rotting Abigail now following right behind you in the mirrors.  You turned and saw no one actually following you and looked back, seeing her much slower now with her arms stretched out and her hands formed into claws.  Her mouth was open wide and her dress appearing more and more like tatters each new mirror you passed.  The woman's face continued to rot like time was passing and her hair started to look less and less luxurious, her scalp becoming more visible with each step.

" _I need it!_ "  She wailed in agony, getting closer to your reflection and snatching at your arm.

You cried out in pain as your sleeve was cut open and a long scratch appeared on your arm, blood trickling down and dropping to the floor.

_Drip.   Drip.   Drip._

You sobbed and swung out your arm, hitting something just behind you and feeling wet flesh splatter against your skin.  Abigail fell in the mirror, screaming as she landed on the ground from your swing and started to pull at her hair.  You didn't stop to watch her heave and slam her fists against the floor as you made it to the end of the hall, pushing the door open and stepping out into the garden.  You slammed it closed behind, searching around until you saw a wooden bench against the wall a few paces down.

You rushed over and grabbed it, dragging it the best you could with the heart in hand right in front of the door.  It was heavy and seemed to refuse you for a moment until you got enough traction to place it in front of the door, your toes now bloody from pulling it too fast and bumping into them. You backed away cautiously, watching with wide eyes as the door rattled and pushed against the heavy object before bony fingers slipped under the door and try to claw their way out.

That was a sign to you to start running again, now sprinting through the garden and ignoring the pain in your feet as you stepped on broken sticks and sharp rocks.  The area was exactly the same as the first night, having been left alone while the rest of the castle got most of the care and attention.  It was a low priority and no one wished to venture to the place where the man had fallen...

Your legs felt like they were on fire as you finally made it to the stone fence and climbed over, scraping your knees raw on the rough surface and bloodying up the front of your white dress.  

But you were almost there.  You were so close.  You can make it!!

You were crying in relief as you neared the door to the chapel.  Smiling when you swung it open and greeted by the same broken statue.  Ecstatic when you ran towards the altar that was littered with pink petals and burnt out candles.   A rain puddle had formed just to the right of the stone woman, leaves and flowers floating serenely in the water, drops of rain still falling from the ceiling in slow rhythm and making you feel **safe**.

_Drip.   Drip.   Drip._  Just like the blood that was flowing from your arm and onto the floor.

But your smile fell and your body grew still as you stared at the woman's bare feet, your own now coarse and scratched with blood as you stood in the cold, wet chapel.

It was gone.

The tiny wooden chest was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Oh god!  Oh god!!  
  
Where was it!?  It had been here!!!  No one had even touched the garden, much less this room!!  So why was it gone!?  You ran forward, feeling the mud caked to your feet wash away as you splashed through rain puddles, the cold water soaking the bottom of your nightgown and making it feel heavy.    
  
Frantic, you searched all around the old chapel, checking under the broken pews and behind the statue in haste as the sounds of the screeching corpse just across the garden grew louder and more desperate.  You fell to your knees and crawled all around the stone sculpture, tears falling down your cheeks as you swiped at burnt candles and rocks while wet, pink flowers brushed against your hands and wrists.  Each one that stuck to your skin made you want to scream in frustration, the memory of seeing the man crushing your lone petal in his hand like it was your own heart.  
  
_**CRASH!!!**_  
  
You sprung to your feet to look out into the garden, almost barely unable to see over the little stone wall and across the way at the barricaded door.  The bench you used to block it was almost giving in, it was knocked forward but still enough in the way to keep Abigail from getting out.  But this didn't stay true for long, the little crack of outside light seemed to have given the creature more vigor.  She could only stick her fingers through the opening, her rotten digits clawing furiously at the thick wood before she pulled the door back and slammed it hard into the bench.    
  
The resulting bang made you jump, eyes slowly widening in horror as she slammed the door over and over until the bench started to finally inch out of the way.  Now the crack was wider, enabling her to squeeze out her whole arm and ripping off some of the brown, withered skin from her wrist to her elbow.  Abigail let out a series of grunts as her shoulder pushed out next, struggling through the crack like a cat slinking through metal bars.  She couldn't push out her whole head though, disfigured face visible through the opening and snarling in rage.  She quickly pulled her body back inside and went back to slamming the door against the bench, making it move inch by painful inch and making it bigger.    
  
You shuddered in fear and took a step back, too petrified to do anything else but watch as the bench gave way for Abigail to finally squeeze through.  Her arm wiggled out first, bending a bit in an awkward angle as her shoulder came next, then her head.  Nausea overcame you as you realized she was even more decomposed then before, her head was almost completely bald, looking wrinkled and wet with oozing browns and yellows.  There were some strands of hair hanging over her brow and ears, but they were frizzed and grey instead of the wondrous brown curls you'd seen in the mirror.  Her cheekbones were showing, some of her flesh having peeled off at some point and her teeth looked even more yellow as she snapped them angrily in her struggle to get free.    
  
She was determined now, going so far as to slam her head hard into the door frame to make the crack wider.  You watched her bend and howl as her other arm squeezed out along with her chest.  She slammed her back against the frame, the sounds of cracking bone penetrating the air before she stumbled out into the garden.    
  
Abigail swayed slightly, upper body bent forward as it looked like she was trying to catch her breath.  Then the corpse heaved, once…twice…three times before thick, black sludge spilled from her mouth and onto the grass.  You covered your lower face in horror and sobbed, unable to tear your eyes away as her head snapped up to look right at you.  
  
She clumsily righted herself, arms hanging limp at her side as she continued to heave.  Her chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm as she took her first step forward, looking like she’d developed a limp along the journey from her mirror.  Her ankles were the cause of this, gnawed all the way to the bone by rot and maggots and looking ready to snap at any moment.  
  
Abigail moved slowly, hesitantly even.  Her black, vacant eye sockets staring right at you as she neared the center of the garden, upper body swinging slightly as if she had lost all control of her movements.  Her mouth opened wide, slime dripping down her chin as she let out a long, wavering breath.  
  
"Give it to meeeeeeeeeeeee....."  
  
Instinct seemed to finally kick in at this point.  Your chest felt tight with dread as you ran forward, fumbling for the heavy chapel door and closing it as fast as you could.  Abigail saw this and let out a shrill wail, quickly careening forward to try and get to you before you could lock her out, but you were already slamming it shut before she even made it to the the little wall.  Heart pounding painfully against your chest, you quickly started to gather as much heavy debris you could and piled it in front of the entrance; broken pews, big rocks, anything heavy and hard to move.  You ignored the aches and pains in your body with each rushed lift, growing more and more tired as the pile grew larger.   
  
The sound of a body smacking into the ground just outside the door alerted you that she had made it over the wall, probably falling down due to her unable to control her limbs.  This didn't stop you from piling more items in front of the barrier, pushing the last pew in place and faltering backwards when a pounding rattled the door and it refused to open.  Abigail screamed and seemed to ram her whole body against the wood, her frail form somehow making the whole rubble of furniture you built shake in place.  
  
Then a new noise met your ears.  It took only a moment to figure out what it was, waves of shivers washing over you like cold water as the sound of nails scratching desperately at the door destroyed any semblance of silence.  You stumbled back quickly when a series of moans and wails followed, agony and despair echoing against the walls and ringing in your head.  You almost cried out, fear making you tremble and cower before you covered your ears in an attempt to block everything out.    
  
**She was going to get in, she was going to get in!!  
  
** You were now curled up in a ball by the broken statue of the woman as Abigail slammed her hands against the door again and screamed.  You felt like a defenseless child as she continued to pound and scream at the door, sounding less and less like a human with each wail and snarl of anger.  She did this until it seemed like she had no voice left, heaving and snarling while her knocks became weaker by the second.  
  
You didn't dare move, listening closely for the ghost that was now pacing back and forth just outside, her skinless feet padding against the wet ground.  You started to feel like this was truly it, with no other escape and no means of getting help, you were almost convinced that you were going to die tonight.  You were going to die with fear twisting in your chest and your body coiled in a tight ball like some animal.  Even the moments of stillness became tainted when she would randomly ram her body into the door, putting her full weight into each smash only to wail in anger when nothing happened.  Abigail would repeat this for what felt like an eternity, feeling like years were being torn from your soul the longer you stayed in this chapel and waited for your death.  
  
So, that's what you did.  Waited for her to get in.  For her to claw her way through the door and squeeze through the cracks, body wiggling and jerking in erratic force until she finally made it inside.  You gripped your head as she slammed her body against the door again, now imagining her rush at you and swipe.  Her nails would be chipped and bloody from her scratching, skin having snagged on splinters and torn without care.  She would snatch your throat and dig her digits into your neck, slowly closing off your airway as you would fight back with no hope until you finally stopped moving beneath her.  She would stare down at you in triumph, satisfied with her murder before searching around your prone body for the jar-  
  
You gasped.  
  
The heart!!  
  
You looked around frantically, shocked you'd lost track of the item in the rush of getting to safety.  Not having it in your hands made you feel more vulnerable, weak, and fragile as if the item had been keeping you safe by a thread.  Breath heavy and heart pounding, you almost started to scream with the same anguish as Abigail, pulling at your hair as you swept your gaze over the room before stopping in one spot.  There it was, resting on it's side next to some of the fallen candles; most likely you had dropped it during your frenzied search for the little wooden chest or even when you were piling items in front of the door.    
  
It didn't matter though, you'd found it!!  A sick sense of ease settled over you as you crawled forward and snatched up the jar, hugging it so close to your chest that it almost seemed like it was your own heart and you were trying to push it back in.  Taking deep breaths, you closed your eyes and held onto it for dear life, doing your best to ignore the sounds of heavy breathing and pacing just outside the chapel.  She started to slam her body against the door again, the rattling of the wood making the room vibrate as your anxiety grew.    
  
But that didn't matter, you could handle dying, especially now that you had the jar safely back in your hands.  
  
You inhaled.    
  
In and out, in and out.     
In and out, in and out.    
In and out, in and out.    
  
  
" _What are you doing?_ "  
  
  
You jerked and looked up, as if finally noticing the tall, angry man from your dreams.  He towered over you like a black mass, cloak hiding his form and white fur-trimmed collar tickled his jaw.    
  
It was the first time you could see him so clearly.  The chapel's roof was in so much disrepair that the moonlight was bright enough to shine through and give you a better look at the male before you.  He was a slim man of a relatively tall height with faint shadows right under his cold, steel eyes.  His nose was long and straight and he had dark, wild hair and sideburns that led down to a small goatee.  Though he seemed like a man who hadn't seen the sun in a decade, his skin still held a hint of a tan, as if years in it had permanently kept it dark and slightly exotic.  
  
He **_mesmerized_** you.  
  
Despite your dire situation, you couldn't help but just stare at him, entranced by his appearance as you found yourself falling into his icy, grey eyes.  This man could catch anyone's attention with the simplest of gestures but also know when to disappear from one's mind.  He probably stalked around with direct purpose, knowing exactly what he wanted and when.  
  
He scowled, handsome face unmarred and beautiful despite his anger as he crouched in front of you.  He reached out with his sharp fingers and grabbed your chin, forcing you out of your gawking with just a prick of his nails.  The male then tugged you closer, making you uncurl from your ball and sit up on you knees to accommodate him.  You stared into his eyes again, feeling like you were lost at sea with no where to go, frightening you that you would allow him to touch you.  But you didn't want to look away.  You wanted to stay lost as long as you didn't have to stop staring into those silver orbs.  
  
" _Why haven't you put it back?_ "  
  
You felt his fingers dig into your skin, startling you out of your daze.  
  
"T-The chest," You replied, finding you focused better when you stared at anywhere else but his face.  But he knew what you were doing and dug his nails deeper into your chin and forced you to look right at him.  "I can't find it..."  
  
His eyes narrowed before he pushed you away to stand once more.  The male looked around the room in disgust, finding that he couldn't see the item in question as well.  He looked a bit tired, haggard even; as if he had gone through all that running and lifting himself and was becoming worn and weary.  The sight made you gently caress the jar, feeling a little bit satisfied that he was suffering as much as you were.  
  
This was the wrong thing to do because he quickly slammed you against the base of the statue, gripping your neck with one hand while his other snatched at the hand that had stroked the glass-encased heart.  
  
" _ **Don't do that!!**_ "  
  
You whimpered and tried to wiggle away but his grip was firm, glaring down at you in anger before he looked over his shoulder in a frown.  He stared at the door, the silence deafening the room while he looked deep in thought.  His hand on your throat lessened it's hold but kept you still as he turned back to look at you.  
  
" _I don't have the energy to waste on this,_ "  he whispered more to himself, moving closer to you and trapping you against the broken sculpture.    
  
He looked thoughtful, eyes not really gazing at you as he seemed to plan something.  Then he was closer, breath fanning over your face and fingers now petting your throat in a sluggish manner.  The touch made you shiver and writhe, breath hitched and body trembling as his fangs glinted in what little light there was.  
  
The man moved his hand over your jawline, slow and deliberate while he inched even nearer.  His chest was now pressing tightly against you while he moved his knees to block your legs from kicking at him.  The hand gripping your wrist became loose before he slid it into yours fingers entwining together in a romantic gesture of comfort and assurance.  His whole body seemed to engulf you, cradling you close with the utmost care while also pressing you achingly into the statue.  
  
He dragged his fingers just under your chin and tilted it upwards, making you look right into his face and into his deep, alluring steel eyes.  He said something in a language you couldn't understand, the words deep and echoing in the chamber like a thick mist.  Something twisted around inside your chest, tugging and pulling painfully and making you suddenly cry out.  It roared inside you, tearing away at your very being and making your nerves feel like they were igniting into balls of fire.  
  
But he forced you to keep staring in his eyes, refusing to let you get away from the ache that seemed to split your chest wide open.  You wanted it to stop.  It hurt so much and you just **wanted it to stop!!!**  
  
" _Shhhhhhh,_ "  He caressed your cheek with a feather light touch, tingles shooting down your spine and body growing warm.  The man leaned closer, the pain soon forgotten the more you looked into his eyes.  They seemed warm now, swirling grays and blacks now staring at you with such affection that you started to lean in to him.  You wanted to hold onto him forever, to never leave his side or waver in faith from his words.  
  
You wanted him to kiss you.  To ravage your mouth until it was numb and swollen.  
  
He smirked and the sight made your body arch into his.  " _Good girl._ "  
  
Then his lips were on your throat, tracing soft kisses along your jugular while he wrapped his arms around you in a tight embrace.  Pleasure rocked your body as he stopped in one spot at the base of your neck, he parted his lips slightly, making hot air puff against your skin.  One of his hands was now brushing your hair, fingers entangling themselves in the tendrils in a soothing gesture while also coercing your head to lean further back.  
  
You hadn't realized you'd been holding your breath, just taking in the moment like it was all you had.  The weight of the jar felt even heavier, the object stuck tightly between both your chests like a connecting link, tightening it's hold and binding you both together until the end of days.  
  
It all felt so good, so much better then the ripping and tearing that was happening around your heart.  
  
He chuckled against your neck, a tingling sensation rushing through you and making you want to be even closer.  You needed to be closer to him, you needed his warmth and solid form to take you in and just hold on tight.  
  
Something pierced your neck, agonizingly slow and sharp with intent on getting to your jugular where it was most succulent.  His fangs dug deep, head tilted to get the best angle to enjoy his meal while his hand now gripped your hair, keeping you from looking down as he began his feast.  You could feel his teeth finally descend all the way in, tongue brushing against your skin before he started to drain you.    
  
You shuddered, pure pleasure rippling throughout your body as blood slowly started to drip down your front like warm honey.  
  
You wanted more, you wanted so much more.    
  
His lips pressed tightly into your skin, his teeth sunk deep into your neck.  You needed more of it, you wanted it to last until every last drop was drained...  
  
Tired.  You were suddenly so tired.  You had no energy to hold yourself up, your body gradually going limp in the man's arms as he kept his fangs latched onto your throat.    
  
Then it felt like something was ripped out of your chest, pain flaring and scorching your body like raging fire and making you cry out.  Tears quickly spilled down your face as you started to struggle, too weak to do anything but try and push the man away with your fumbling hands.  God, it took so much effort to even more.  
  
Your vision wavered, darkness growing at the edge and clouding your mind.  You blinked furiously, trying to stay awake as dots started to blind you.  You could practically feel death's loving embrace start to entrap you, ready to drag you down to hell where you would be forever tormented by this castle until you were long forgotten.  
  
You didn't want to die.  You didn't **want** to die!!!  
  
"Please-!!"  You sobbed, body now too frail to do anything buy lay in this monster's arms as he took everything away from you.  "S-Stop!!"  
  
To your surprise, he did.  
  
The man sighed under his breath and unhooked his teeth from your throat, blood painting his mouth and dripping down his chin.  He licked his lips, looking annoyed that it had ended so soon.  He stared at you without pity, fingers moving up to wipe away any excess red from his smirking lips.  
  
He leaned forward and kissed at your tears, holding you close like a lover who hadn't seen their partner in the longest time.  The man brushed his hand over the left side of your chest, right where your heart rested, pounding unsteadily beneath his palm.  He looked satisfied at what he felt before laying you down on the ground, gentle and almost in a protective manner before he tucked a lock of hair behind your ear.  
  
" _Stay here.  I'll take care of it._ "  
  
Take care of it?  What did he mean??  But you didn't have the energy to ask, just watched him stand up and wipe his chin, licking whatever blood was left off his fingers as he strode towards the door.  He didn't have to lift a finger to move the debris, the pathway was already clear for him.  
  
You stared in confusion when you finally noticed the room was different from before.  No longer were the pews broken and piled in front of the door, but lined up like their original intention.  There was no fallen rocks on the ground or tattered tapestries hanging off the walls.  The only thing that seemed to be the same was the hole in the roof, shining moonlight down into the cold room.  You couldn't understand why it was this way and you were too exhausted to even try.  
  
He opened the door and looked outside with a scowl, displeased at what he saw.  You couldn't see past the door, your position only giving you a view of the old wood and it's frame.  The man turned to look at you, eyes flashing in the shadows.  
  
" _Find the chest._ "  He looked threatening and dangerous now, the sight making your heart freeze in place and your throat feel raw with pain.  " _Don't let anything take my heart._ "  
  
And then he left, closing the door softly behind him and leaving you to lay in the chapel as your body refused to move.  You closed your eyes, quaky breaths exhaling from your frame while tears started to fall again.  
  
You were so _tired_.  You just wanted to sleep into oblivion and never wake up.    
  
And then you heard a blood curdling scream, forcing your eyes open and your body to sit up with a jerk.  You swung your head to look at the door, finding it barricaded once more with broken benches and rocks just as you'd left it.  The scream echoed again, growing louder as pain vibrated through the woman's voice.  You heard a thump and some kind of struggle on the other side, like her body was convulsing on the ground and she was having a seizure.    
  
Then it stopped and a loud silence filled the room.  
  
You shakily rubbed your eyes, wondering if you'd somehow passed out during Abigail's attempts to get inside, exhaustion having finally taken you into a deep sleep.  It shocked you that you could easily let your guard down like that.    
  
Shifting, you found that you could move again and it made you even more aware that you had been dreaming.  All your energy seemed to be back and you weren't in any sort of pain.  Nothing in the chest, nothing in the neck...  
  
You reached up to touch your throat, hesitant at first but confident there was nothing there like all the other times.  You brushed over the smooth skin, relief flooding into you as you seemed to find no gaping holes in your neck.  
  
But then you realized how sticky it felt and you pulled your hand away to look at it.  You parted your fingers and stared down in horror at the red liquid painting the slender digits, dripping off the tips and onto the stone floor.  Hand quickly going back, you searched desperately for any sort of mark, a gash or cut that may have caused the wound, anything other then-!!!  
  
You froze, feeling two little puncture wounds just beneath your index finger.  Your body tensed and your heart started to beat rapidly as you slowly looked down.  There, covering the whole front of your dress was blood, fresh and wet as the white cloth clung to your flesh.

Then everything felt much too real and you wondered what sort of pact had been made between you and the demon in black.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Your body felt unbelievably sore.

Your feet were raw from running, caked in dry mud and blood while your arms ached from lifting objects that felt twice your weight.  You didn't even want to think about the burning in your legs from all the running, how your muscles seemed like they were wound so tight that they would snap like a violin string.

Then there was your throat...

Every time your brought your hand to the two little puncture wounds, you could only shudder.  But you didn't shudder in pain, no, they didn't even hurt.  There was no stinging sensation the rippled down your neck when you brushed over them, no gasping and jerking in pain, just two unassuming marks placed delicately on your skin.  

No, what made you shudder was the thought of some stranger....  Some **_monster_** holding you close, as if you both were intimate.  He had gripped your hair so tightly and pulled it back, forcing to expose every inch of your smooth skin while his sharp teeth dug deep into your neck.  You had felt his tongue, slithering in circles and leaving the spot wet and red as his lips kneaded your skin.  

It was a gesture of intimacy that was saved for married couples, people who loved and adored each other until the end of days, but this....  This action held no love or care, no true emotions that would indicate that this was pure affection; it held only greedy, merciless touches that acted assuring and gentle.  They were ulterior motives disguised as fondness, infatuation, even lust.  You could never trust this man.

Then he feasted on you.  Drained you.  Weakened you.   _ **Nearly killed you.**_

You pressed your fingers hard against the wound, body trembling from the memory.  

Everything made you want to cry at this point, to scream and break things until you wore yourself out with fearful rage.  Then you wished to cower, to run to your room and curl up on your bed with the blankets pulled over until morning.  Only holding the jar seemed to keep you sane.  You held it, caressed it, and pressed it close to your chest; not caring if you made the man angry for doing such things to it. 

He left his deceitful signature on your neck, so you were going to pet his damn heart.

It wasn't until you saw the first few rays of sunlight did you decide it was time to leave the chapel.  You cleared away the debris from the door the best you could, pushing at church pews and heavy, chunks of ceiling off to the side while your hands grew more and more ragged.  You would have to wear gloves for a while before they went back to their usual softness, but...  Well, **look at that** , you were actually worried about how soft your hands were going to be after this.  The _softness of your hands._  

You placed the back of your palm against your eyes and let out a brittle laugh, lower lip trembling as fresh tears spilled from your eyes.  

It was kind of funny.  Perhaps you'll worry about if the cuts and bruises will leave your body by the time you went back into society.  Maybe your future husband won't notice how much wider your eyes were from the constant fright this horrible castle seemed to throw at you.

 

_"Oh, _______!  How did you ever achieve such a doe-eyed look before?!  I must know your secret~!"_

 

_You waved your hand at the faceless woman, giggling behind your frilly glove.  "It's quite easy.  One just endures countless monstrosities and ghosts thrown at them for a few weeks.  It's a popular technique that is even catching on in Paris."_

 

_"Fascinating!"_

You laughed again, feeling more off-kilter then ever before.  Who knows, maybe people will like the new, sarcastic you.

If you survived all this.

Once the door was clear did you finally feel the growing fear and worry.  What if Abigail was still out there?  What if the demon hadn't gotten rid of her at all?  What if she was lying in wait, rotting fingers curled readily to snatch at your ankles, your legs, arms, or neck?  She would dig her yellow nails down hard and make you bleed, hold her decrepit face close as her rancid breath washed over you before she would find the most horrible way to kill you.

You rested your head against the door and closed your eyes.  You felt so drained and your body pleaded with you to lay in a wondrous, comfy bed.  It berated you with sore muscles and aching limbs from lying on the stone floor for who knows how long, rocks digging into your back while your skin felt damp from cold rainwater.  It was a possibility you were going to get sick if you stayed out here much longer and the last thing you wanted was to be even more vulnerable in this wretched place.  

Plus, there was Marguerite.  She would fret over you for countless days until you were healthy, then worry and coddle while you try to avoid the inevitable conversation of the bit mark placed so elegantly on your neck.  You couldn't tell her what had happened, just imagine her frozen, wide-eye gaze as you described a strange man suckling so sweetly at your skin then disappearing into the night.

Staying in this chapel wasn't an option.  You **had** to leave.

So, with all the courage you could muster, you pulled hard at the metal knob and opened the door.  And there you saw her.

Abigail's dead, eyeless sockets staring up at you while her crumpled body lay twisted on the ground.  Her decaying corpse laid downwards with her arms folded awkwardly over her chest, her flesh now black and wet hung from her bones while her legs were spread out before her.  She had no glorious hair left, only strands of shriveled grey and white shedding onto the floor.  Then you realized the creature's head was twisted all the way around, staring upside down at you with her mouth open wide as if she had no tendons to keep her jaw shut.  A black substance oozed from her lips and dribbled down her face and formed a dark pool beneath her. 

You recoiled, waiting for her to crawl towards you; for her chest to heave and her mouth gurgle out slime before she wailed and demanded the man's heart.  Then the stench hit you, a wave of rotten pungent that destroyed your sense of smell and almost made you retch until your stomach was completely empty.

The body didn't so much as flinch.  She just continued to gaze up at you from her spot in front of the door as you bent over a few feet away in case you really did puke.

_Disgusting._

It took you a little longer then you wished to recoup, unable to keep the nausea from swelling in your stomach to your chest with each look at Abigail and her putrid-smelling body.  Once you could ignore the foul smell did you start forward again, body trembling as you had to step over the creature's form.  She blocked a bit of the doorway, her decaying self making it hard to even step out without knocking your bare foot into her oozing chest or make her head twist even more on her loose neck.  When you finally made it over her form and out into the courtyard did you want to dig your eyes out, never wanting to witness such a sight in your life ever again.

But you couldn't stop looking at her.  Your eyes refused to tear away from her pitiful mess of a body, watching her corpse continue to drip with rain and black globs of liquid.  You wondered if she really had been all that beautiful, how long it had taken her skin to sag and her flesh to rot before her beauty was completely gone and all that was leftover was decomposing meat.

You don't know how long you stood there, safely out of the chapel, but still lingering in morbid fascination.  

You've seen millions of mummies, wrapped and unwrapped - how their skin was dry and shriveled like jerky, their teeth brittle and crooked in their mouths while their faces were all but unrecognizable.  But this woman was no mummy you've ever seen, she was in a state of decay, her flesh clinging to her bones for dear life while her muscles still had some of their healthy weight.  

Bodies usually took eight to twelve years to fully decompose, but this one was still so...fresh.  Too fresh for someone from almost eighty years ago.  Something had preserved her, ready to use her for some strange purpose that was beyond your realm of imagination.

What else was this creature for besides scaring helpless females out of bed?

More rays of sun seemed to gather in the courtyard, this part of the castle facing east and getting first choice of warmth.  The light seemed to approach faster then you realized, it's yellow glow looking like it was sent from the very heavens as it reached your end of the garden.  You felt the dazzling light and basked in the warmth, feeling the sun's rays stroke your skin and slowly dry some of the damp rain that clung to your clothes.  It was like greeting a dear friend, a pleasant hug from the sun who seemed to pity your situation.

It made everything dissolve in your mind.  You were relaxed, calm, and at peace.  Only the sun could make you feel alive again.

Abigail's body twitched, the movement startling you out of your daze and making you step back quickly.  You clutched the jar close to you as you waited with wide eyes for something to happen.  Then you saw steam rise from her corpse, the sun washing over the creature and drying it up much too quickly to be possible.  She started to shrivel up on the stone, limbs twitching and jerking before her flesh fell off like melting fat.  Black fluids continued to stream from her mouth and spilled all over the ground as her body caved into itself, bones turning into dust faster then a second could pass.

The smell turned almost impossible to bare, now stenching the air with sweetly cooked meat that reminded you of the kitchens.  The sickly sweet aroma made you double over, coughs heaving from your throat as you tried to grasp for fresh air.  You stumbled and covered your nose, shoulders shaking as you tried to keep from throwing up all over your front.  You took another desperate breath of air before you realized the smell was gone - as if the decomposing process had gone by so fast that she was completely odorless.  Your gaze lingered on her, watching her skull fall last, bone fracturing and falling into it's cranium before it turned into swirling dust, leaving behind a pool of black muck that was quickly staining the stone floor.

Unable to look at the spot any longer, you turned and ran back to your room.  You ran through the hall of mirrors, your father's room, through the tiny hall with the stained glass cross, into the vacant great hall and up the spiraling stairs of the tallest tower.

Up and up and up and up.

You were too numb to feel fear.  Too exhausted to think.  Your legs threatened to give out, your chest was about to burst open, and your hands were staunch white as they clung tightly to the heart.  But you kept going until you made it to the very top and back to the safety of your room, your sanctuary in this nightmare of a home.  

The first thing you did when you stepped inside was catch your breath, leaning against your closed door and placing your hand over your pounding heart until it slowed.  

 

_Ba-bump.  Ba-bump.  Ba-bump._

 

It was calming to feel your heartbeat, the pounding muscle working hard in your chest and assuring you that you still lived.  You lived through the horror of a corpse chasing you, snatching at you and determined to drag you into the very depths of hell for an eternity of torture.

But you were alive.  You were here and you had survived another horrible trial.

Stepping up the little stairway to your room, the first thing that caught your eye was the mirror.  Despite the sun not yet reaching your windows, you could see the tall object outlined in the dark, still covered in the white sheet and untouched.  Just seeing it made the room feel still, as if nothing wished to move or else it would attract it's attention before it attacked.

You swallowed hard and took action, placing the jar sternly on your end table before opening the door to your closet, glaring at the small storage space and hoping there was enough room.  Pushing that worry away, you went towards the mirror with slight hesitation, fearful that once you touched it something horrible would happen.  But once your fingers grasped the old frame did you realize how paranoid you were being and were relieved to find that nothing happened as you started to drag it towards the closet. 

It took a few minutes to gather enough strength to push it through the door, your body already too weary from all the running and fearful situations you went through.  You were determined to continue, preferring to lock the heavy mirror away to it's new destination where you would never have to look at it ever again.  You would never see it, speak of it, or even think about it as it sat in your closet to gather dust and fade away from memory.

The sheet was pulled halfway off once the mirror was finally in the storage room, showing a glimpse of your reflection in what little light you had.  You stared with a grimace, noting your nightgown was in tatters, hem threads unraveling and coated with drops of mud and water, one sleeve torn where the ghost had cut you along the arm in one long slice.  What was worse was the blood staining all down your font, making the fabric feel heavy and disgusting against your skin as it seemed to dry from a bright red to murky brown.  

You pulled at the front and flinched, finally smelling yourself and feeling even more appalled. 

It was too ruined to have any hopes of use again and the last thing you wanted was to worry Marguerite.  You knew if she saw this she would become extremely distressed, fretting and fawning over you until you told her everything.  You couldn't have that right now and you certainly couldn't put her through all this.

Looking around, you saw a medium sized trunk off in the corner of the closet and quickly tugged the sheet back over the mirror before going to it.  You opened it up slowly, waiting for something to jump-

Oh for goodness sake, you quickly slammed the lid open and glared, ready for whatever may come your way.  You were greeted with nothing but a wave of dust and broken cobwebs, both flying up into your face and making you sneeze as you tried to shoo it away with your hand.  Blinking, you peered inside and deemed the space a perfect hiding spot.

You shifted around as you pulled your ruined nightdress off, satisfied when the bloody front finally pulled away from your skin.  It was a bit cold, but you didn't care as long as you could clean up a little and change clothes.  You balled the dress up and placed it in the chest and moved to close it before you stopped yourself.  Should you hide the heart in here too?  Would it be safe?  You looked over your shoulder at your end table, staring hard at the jarred heart before making your decision by closing the trunk and leaving the closet.  

It wouldn't be wise to let the item leave your sight, not when the owner was so intent on you protecting it.  It'd be best to keep it with you at all times now...besides, it made you feel safe.

Shutting the storage room door behind you, you took a deep breath and walked over to your vanity, relieved to see a bowl of water and washcloth waiting for you.  It was usually here for the mornings when you had to wash your face or hands, but it was going to be your quick way to clean up before you finally passed out.  You carefully washed yourself, from the mud caked between your toes to the splotches of blood that had soaked through your clothing and onto your chest.  It felt like you were wiping away at layers and layers of grime along with most your worries, the cloth becoming dirtier the more you worked.

It took a few minutes before you gave up on completely cleaning the cuts on your legs and arms, almost nodding off and missing your limbs completely before you jerked back awake.  You rubbed your eyes in exhaustion before grabbing a new nightgown, this one a short sleeve and much longer then your previous one, the back bottom hem dragging gently behind you on the floor like a wedding dress would.  The material was a bit thinner too, the article of clothing suited more for the summer then early spring.  It didn't bother you all too much though, you'd just grabbed the first thing you could so you could finally lay down.

The sunlight was slowly making it's way to your side of the castle, the sky looking less like a dark-navy with dots of white and yellow splattered across it's landscape and more like a steel blue that made it harder to view the stars.  You trudged to the bed and quickly crawled under the blankets, pulling the furs snuggly over your form and letting your eyes finally rest after hours of being wide with fright.  You embraced the inky blackness your closed lids provided, feeling secure as you felt yourself drift onward to sleep, your breathing becoming slow and your body relaxed as it felt like you sunk deep into the mattress.  

It was wonderful.

 

 

You found yourself opening your eyes, fluttering a few times as you adjusted to the new light filtering through the windows.  The room was no longer dark with shadows and possible monsters, but dim with the dawn's light.  Furniture details were more recognizable and things that looked terrifying in the darkness now seemed mundane and silly.

You turned your head sideways to peer towards your balcony, eyes still blinking slowly as you felt yourself still nod off every few seconds.  Not even the sight of a stranger standing by the balcony window seemed to force you to fully wake, too weak and incapable to sit up in a defensive position.

His back was to you and you were unable to see his face as he stared out the large windows.  But you didn't need to see his features to know who it was, his long, fur-trimmed cloak still hanging on his shoulders and wild black hair outlined by the morning dawn.  The man looked strangely tall against the dim light, as if someone had stretched him out a little too much and now his arms could reach further then most and his legs could take a much larger step to your two.  Despite this strangeness and not being able to peer into his face, he still had an allure to him, the view of his broad back compelling you to stare just so you could watch the movements of his shoulders as they rolled or shifted.  

It made you wish you had the strength to move so you could reach out to touch them...

The room seemed to getting brighter, the sun making the night sky glow into pinks and reds that slowly turned into robin egg blue.  You watched as the male gazed at the sunrise, staying perfectly still as tips of red and orange spread into the room, warmth touching your face as the sun finally rose over the mountains.

He let out a soft sigh as soon as the sunlight touched him, taking in it's embrace for just a moment.

 

 

You opened your eyes again, confused until you realized you must have passed out again.  You looked at the balcony, expecting to see the stranger standing there but saw no one.  You blinked and realized it must be an hour or so later, the room much brighter and the sun higher in the sky.

Your hand was gripping something and realized you had grabbed the jar sometime during your dreamless sleep, the object cradled gently against your chest like a priceless treasure.  It would have bothered you, but you were too used to having it around at this point.  So you closed your eyes and let sleep take you once more, better to rest then to think about the absurdness of hugging a demon's heart as you laid in bed.

 

 

"-______??"

You blinked and felt a hand press against your forehead.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"She's running a fever..."

You groaned and tried to turn your head away, wanting to go back to sleep.  The hand stayed firm on your face and went on to pat your cheeks gently, a twinge of annoyance flaring up at the person until they finally stopped.  You wanted them to go away, but you couldn't bring yourself to speak, finding it much easier to lay back and let them do as they pleased.

"Better to let her rest for now.  Start a fire and grab more blankets, she'll need to sweat this out."

"Should I also-"

The rest seemed like too much of a blur to remember, all you knew was someone piling more blankets on top of you and a wet washcloth on your forehead.  Then you were asleep again, falling back into nothingness as your body tried to recover.

 

 

It seemed like this time you had the energy to fully wake up.  You could move your arms and legs, wiggle your toes, and twitch all of your fingers.  Your eyes fluttered open experimentally before your hand reached up from under the many blankets to pull the damp washcloth off your forehead.  

You stared at it for a moment, still a bit dazed until you set it aside and sat up.  Using the back of your palm to rub your eyes, you took the time to look around your room and realized it was completely dark again.  There was no more friendly sunshine brightening the tower, just shadows devouring your room and feeding off every fear you could dream of having.

Night had come.  

You had slept the whole day away and now you were transported back to hell where you would endure more atrocities before you finally broke down.  You cradled your face in your hands for a few moments, taking a deep breath to gain some of the courage you had last night, to feel like you weren't in an endless cycle of horror and death that clawed at your wake.

But you had no courage left to cling to, only the stupid little jar and it's stupid heart.

" _You still have it._ "

You froze, gaze lingering on your lap and the very object you were cursing before you slowly dragged it up to face the person speaking.  There, right where you last saw him, was the very monster putting you through all this.  This time he faced you, gaze no longer lingering on the sky as his body embraced the bright light.  Instead he turned his back on the night, as if he was bored of the countless stars painting the sky.  It showed clear on his face that he did not care what magnificence laid behind him, his face blank and eyes glowing a soft silver while the moonlight illuminated him.  

He looked beautiful.  

Even in the dark you could see how his face still seemed to draw your attention, as if sculpted by angels who had been careful with their delicate hands as they formed his strong jaw and long nose.  They must have used the most expensive of paint brushes to color his skin that dark hue, careful with the tool's bristles as they tried to leave not a single blotch on him.  With expert hands, they'd taken special care on his eyes, adding the bags beneath his eyes to make his steel pupils stand out bright and mesmerizing.  They dragged you in, clung to you and pulled you deep into a bottomless lake where you felt frozen and helpless, but oh so very happy.

_"Why do you still have it?  Did you not find the chest?"_

What?  Oh, the heart.

You touched your forehead and flinched, feeling like you were getting a headache.  "I-I've been asleep all day..."

There had been no way to look for the little box with bears carved into it's lock, so any chance of appeasing him was out the window and you weren't sure if you could gather enough energy to care.  You were still so tired, so weary, and so very, _very_ numb.

" _You were **asleep?**_ "

You flinched at the harshness in his tone, your heart suddenly beating too fast and your body begging you to run.    
"I'm s-sorry...I haven't been able to-"

Suddenly he was in front of you, steel eyes staring creepily as he gripped your wrists in his long palms and kept them still so you didn't jerk away.  He bent down low to peer into your face, pupils flitting over your gaunt cheeks and tired eyes for a few moments before he pulled back.  He let your left hand go and focused on the pulse in your right, remaining silent as he counted the shuddering beats beneath his icy fingers.  You noted he had strange marks on each knuckle of his hand, a unrecognizable symbol painted in black on each knuckle while a large circular one stained the back of his palm.

He counted for thirty seconds before he scowled, muttering beneath his breath about 'taking too much'.  Then he dropped your hand and sighed, stepping away while looking annoyed.

You stared, slowly lowering your wrist as he started to walk around the room, glancing over your things with narrowed eyes.  He would pause at an object or two, tilting his head just slightly before he moved on to the next part of the room, making a full circle until he stopped at your close door.  The man stared at it long and hard, suddenly seeming like he was inhumanly still and no unstoppable force could move him.

You waited for him to say something, to point out some evil or give you some kind of hint as to why he was staring at your closet.  It put you on edge, your nerves felt frazzled and your body jittery with growing energy.  Before you knew what was happening, you were petting the jar, finding comfort in it's cold glass against your palm and cooling your skin.

" _ **Stop.**_ "

He was in front of you, quickly clutching your wrists with his fingers squeezing mercilessly hard, the pain almost too much to bare despite the tingling sensation of feeling his skin against your own.  You let out a soft gasp and nodded, too frightened to form words and apologize so he could let you go.  He glared at you and lowered his face right in front of yours once more, eyes sharp and flashing dangerously while his lips formed into a scowl.  You couldn't look away again, going back into a deep daze as you got lost in the glowing grays and whites that lit up his eyes.

His gaze was so chilling, so deep and easy to drown in as it felt like you were sinking into a lake once more.

" _Everything is falling apart because of you._ "  He squeezed tighter, your bones feeling like they were ready to crack under the pressure of his tight fingers.  You tried to jerk your arms away, panic building in your chest as he leaned even closer, his brow furrowed in anger as his warm breath fanned over your face.  You could see his glinting fangs, fearful they would sink into your neck once more and drain every last drop of blood.

" _You will do everything I say from now on._ "  His thumbs started to dig into the spots on your wrists where your pulse laid, feeling his sharp nail break the skin as your pulse quickened beneath his tips.  " _You **will not** betray me._ "

It wasn't a question, but an order.  His harsh tone sending shivers of dread up and down your spine while it also made you feel elated that you could hear his voice, deep and soothing to your ears.  You wanted to hear more from him, to have him speak to you with affection and devotion before he held you dearly in his arms.  It made it so hard to focus, so troubling to figure out why you were afraid...or why you were so happy.  

You could only nod slowly in response, your mind screaming at you to free your hands and crawl as far away as possible while your heart told you to move closer so you could share in his warmth.

He stared at you hard, gaze feeling like it searched every inch of your soul before his frown turned into a wide, creepy smirk.  It sent another chill down your spine and your flight or fight response finally kicked in, body trembling and struggling to free yourself as he finally released one hand.  You used it to claw at his other one, desperate to pull him off of you while his palm moved to rest on the left side of your chest, just above your heart.  
   
You gasped, suddenly frozen as he clutched tightly at the fabric of your nightgown before slipping it beneath it's folds to paw at your bare skin and to feel the rising heartbeat.  He stroked this spot gently, looking pleased at what he felt before he drew a slow, agonizing circle on your skin and around where your heart laid.

  
" _ **Shambles**._ "

And then you saw white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this was filler, I don't know - UGGGH!! This chapter was so frustrating. Luckily I can get into the talking parts with Law next time @_@


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be so much longer bc I was gonna have more Law who revealed plot stuff but then I realized I was running too long and never even made it to another scene so it's going in the next chapter.

You remembered the demon in your room.  
  
Tall.    
  
Imposing.    
  
Unnerving and inhuman.    
  
He was something that had been of this world for so long that it was no doubt he was a predator, making him seem unnatural and terrifying.  He had stalked the area like an animal, silver eyes glowing as they flitted to and fro around your bedroom while you cowered.  You hadn't the will to fight back as he had rounded on you, snatching your wrists and gripping them so painfully hard that no amount of jerking and squirming would set you free.    
  
" _Everything is falling apart because of you._ "    
  
His voice had been chilling, sending racks of fear throughout your body that made you wish you had begged for mercy.  He was hurting you, making you cry out softly with ache as your bones creaked and your wrists shook.  
  
He was going to break you.  
  
_Snap._   **Crush.**   Destroy your very being until you were nothing more then a forgotten soul, bones crumbling to dust and memories lost to gentle winds.  This man was nothing but a demon in human guise, ready to strike out at anyone who displeased him without so much as batting an eye.  
  
But, oh god, he was so beautiful.    
  
The silver glow to his narrowed eyes made you want to move closer, to feel and caress his face until he kissed you.  You wanted to feel the heat of his body, for him to desire you like a man did a woman.  You would walk a thousand miles, travel all the oceans and take on anything that came across your path just to have him look at you.  Your body begged for his merciless touch, your mind freezing and your heart pounding as you held on a tiny shred of hope that he would grace you with a smile.  A smile of love and affection before he'd move in to sink his delicious fangs **deep into your neck.**  
  
These thoughts had frightened you.    
  
You were being held hostage by a man with steel eyes that beckoned for your obedience, craved your trust and desired your very being.  And you were willing to let him do anything and everything his heart desired as long as he kept looking at you.  You should be running away, crying out for help, or begging for mercy; not staring at him while your mind urged you to present your throat.  
  
You couldn't breathe.  
  
Oh god, oh god, _oh god_.   
  
You were trapped!!  He was going to hurt you!!  Maim then drain you dry with that sinful mouth as blood would rush down from your neck like a rose petal waterfall.    
  
" _You will do everything I say from now on._ _You **will not**  betray me._"  
  
His voice dripped with such venom, such  _ **hatred**_  that you feared you would be killed then and there.  The creature's fangs glinted and his brow furrowed, anger stark on his face as he dug his knife-sharp nails deep into your wrists where your pulse pounded.  Your arms felt numb and you wished you could run away, writhe free so you could never meet this demon of the night and his stunning, silver eyes.  
  
Then he smiled, so wide and thin that it made you freeze like a cornered doe awaiting the fatal arrow.  You watched helpless as he moved his hand to your chest, drawing circles in your skin in such a leisurely manner that it was almost affectionate.  It made you body warm, your chest tight and your lips tremble.  
  
More.  Oh god, you wanted more, _more, **more.**_

 

 

_" **Shambles.** "_

  
And then he had cursed you, sending you spiraling into an endless white that was so bright that it made your ears ring.  
  
You were floating...then falling.  
  
  
                                              Falling.  
  
                                                                     Falling.  
                                              
                                                                                            Falling.  
  
                                                                                                                      Falling.   
  
  
Then something cut you open, cold and uninviting fingers suddenly digging deep into your body as they searched around mercilessly.  You couldn't see, but you could **feel**.  You could sense every movement, pull, tug, and push as long digits prodded the inside of your body.   
  
A brush, right against your beating heart.  The touch sent a spasm of electricity throughout your form and you gasped in pure agony.  Panting and vision blurring, you saw the white slowly fade to black like everything had abruptly stopped.    
  
It felt as if someone had trapped you in a box, tight and oppressive as you willed yourself to inhale, to grasp for that breath that could be your last.   Oxygen seemed to slow in it's travel, causing your lungs to shudder and your throat to close up.  You willed someone to stop this, to let you _breathe_!  It was almost like the walls were closing in and nothing could keep them from squeezing the life from you.  
  
And suddenly, everything had turned white again.  
  
The hand stalled.  
  
One second.  Two seconds.    
  
It moved, making you tense up as you awaited another painful stroke, another plunge into the dark as walls closed in on you once more.  But that didn't happen, instead you felt it grab hold of something, fingers pinching and twisting and making you writhe.  It almost seemed like he was taking your heart, wrenching and pulling until it snapped from your very chest.    
  
Was he stealing it?    
  
Was he finally going to do as he promise and crush the pumping organ between his long, slender fingers?    
  
Were these your final moments?  
  
You sobbed and found yourself losing consciousness, the memory ending with the demon yanking something from your chest cavity and whispering under his breath in subtle triumph.  
  
_"There you are."_  
  
  
  
  
Everything was a blur.  
  
You would open your eyes, fluttering lashes letting you glimpse at visions of people.  Each flicker showing a different person each time as if they were changing positions in a matter of seconds.  For some reason you couldn't place names with faces, as if your memory no longer worked and your brain refused to function.  Their facial expressions registered though, all ranging from worried, frightened, curious, blank, or just tired.  
  
One in particular confused you.  It was a man in a white plague mask, long beak stretching out like a bird nose and the top decorated in long horns that curved at the tip.  It was almost demonic in appearance and it had scared you, having never seen such a sight in your life.  These masks were said to divert diseases in times of crisis.  Epidemics would fall over man like a smothering blanket and take out millions with a mere cough.  
  
Black death.  White plague.  
  
These were associated with Plague doctors of the past as they rushed to save anyone they could...or take their bodies away to be burned.  Did this mean you were _dying?_  Was someone here trying to save you only to shake their head in disappointment before condemning you to that eternal darkness that was death?  You didn't want to die.  You didn't want your body to be tossed in some old, rattling cart that would carry you away to the burning pyres that smelled of scorched flesh and searing hair.  
  


 

 

♪♪~ Ring-a-round the rosie, ~♪♪  
A pocket full of posies,  
Ashes! Ashes!  
♪♪~ We all fall **_dead._** ~♪♪

  
  
  
You couldn't dwell on these thoughts.  You shouldn't dwell on these thoughts.  You just had to hope and pray that you would survive, that this man will save you from the depths of hell before you were dragged downwards by a demon too beautiful for words.  
  
He moved animatedly, turning and gesturing to someone else in the room that you couldn't see.  His voice was lost on you, as if the white ringing from earlier had caused you to go deaf.  You could only see his lips move, occasionally catching a glimpse of a long, thin mouth open and close while his hands moved in basic motions.  The doctor reached for something out of your line of sight, rummaging around until he came back with a little bottle of black liquid in his thin fingers.  He looked delighted as he uncorked it, a tiny plume of purple spurting into the air before it faded away.  
  
It smelled of sweet, caramel apples on an autumn day.  
  
You watched with dazed eyes as he brought the bottle to your lips, his other hand carefully slipping under your head and lifting it.  His fingers were gentle as he supported you, tangled so loosely in your hair and massaging your scalp in the softest of touch.  This helped you open your mouth, trusting this man as he tipped the bottle to let the medicine flood inside.  
  
You regretted it instantly.  The moment the heavy, gooey substance brushed your lips was a moment you'd rather forget.  It was like glutinous sludge sliding down your throat, coating everything it touched as it moved down your windpipe in a leisurely pace.  It made it seem like you were swallowing a slug, it's thick, oozing mucus slithering into your lungs and making your chest heavy and congested.  
  
You coughed violently, but the man paid no mind as he took the bottle away and said something to the other person in the room.   
  
Then you were out again, back into a restless sleep of starless skies and a moon reflected in a mirror.  
  
  
  
  
You would open your eyes every now and then, as if consciousness beckoned you awake to remind you that there was more to life then sleep and dreams.  One moment you would see the sun, high in the sky and lighting up your quiet tower, then you would close them for a split second only to find it was nighttime.  
  
_Open._   Close.  _Open._   Close.  
Day.  **Night.**   Day.  **Night.**  
  
It seemed like a strange assortment of pictures flipping by too fast to comprehend, as if you were traveling through time in a matter of seconds.  You would find yourself staring out at your balcony, the tall glass giving you a clear view as the sun moved across the sky at the pace of a leisurely walk.  Your eyes would follow it's path with little to no reaction, the bright orb slowly going down over the mountains before the moon gave rise at the same speed.  You didn't really think about it, but from an outside perspective, you were basically staring out the window for long hours without so much as moving an inch.  
  
Were you even awake the whole time or were you just imagining these days go by?  
  
Another thing that seemed to be constant was... _ **him.**_    
  
He would appear sometime in the middle of the night, standing right by the balcony window where he had gazed out like last time.  Never did he turn to acknowledge you, just continue to look at the endless night sky while the stars glittered like white diamonds.  And just like you, he seemed to stare for long hours as the moon traveled across the sky then leave as the morning sun arrived.  The demon would stand perfectly still and wait for the sunlight to reach your tower room and just like last time, he would take in a deep breath and anticipate the warm rays that rose to hit him.  Then, just a split second later, he'd disappear and the sun would continue across the brightening blue sky as normal.    
  
You couldn't count how many times you saw him do this, standing in the exact same spot and look out the balcony to wait for the warm, inviting sun.    
  
You waited for him every moonrise and stayed with him every sunrise, both silent as you watched the world spin and time go on without you.  You weren't sure how long this lasted or if you were truly lying in bed for days, possibly weeks.  The constant movement of the sun and moon seemed to make your head dizzy and your body off balance and soon it seemed like the world truly was spinning much too fast.  
  
Then your head was spinning, twisting, whirling, and spiraling out of control until time stood still and you rolled over on your side to curl up into a ball.  
  
Your body felt hot and sweaty as a horrible pain pulsated in your stomach, feeling like something was digging and tearing away at your insides with quick, merciless precision.  It made you twitch, arch, gasp and whimper in pure pain and the only thing you could do to try and alleviate it was to wrap your arms tight around your middle.  But this only did so much before you started to cough heavily, ruby red drops spilling past your lips and onto the mattress.    
  
Eyes feeling heavy and body too weak to properly move, you could only cry out softly in agony as wave upon wave of nausea suddenly hit you.  You could feel the bile build up and the churning in your stomach made you want to dig your fingers so hard into your skin that they'd bleed.  An image of Abigail puking out black, oozing muck flashed across your mind, her decrepit body heaving and stumbling as the toxic bile continued to drip from her snarling mouth.  Her breath was haggard and her hands gripping and clawing at her chest as she looked up with her black, eyeless sockets-!!  
  
You curled up into a tighter ball and tried to erase the memory from your mind, knowing the imagery did nothing to help your nausea nor your fears of the same thing happening to you.  
  
You were in so much pain that you almost didn't notice the demon again, standing in exact same spot as before and gazing out at the cloudy, night sky.  He hadn't seem to notice you at first either, as if you both had been so lost in your own worlds to register there was another presence in the room.    
  
He turned as soon as he heard your second bout of coughing, face and front completely shadowed in the dark room while his silver eyes glowed brightly.  They seemed to blend in with the few stars visible in the night sky, fantastically brilliant and intense as they bored right into your very being.  He studied you curiously then at the mattress as more spots of red coated the bedsheets where you continued to cough.  Your vision changed from clear to fuzzy for a few moments, making it hard to tell what was happening as your body continued to throb with pain.  You began to shake uncontrollably as everything started to turn numb, starting from the tips of your toes to the top of your tingling scalp, as if you were lying naked in a field in the middle of a snowstorm.  
  
Your vision righted itself for just a moment, body writhing under the heavy, fur blankets as sweat began to form on every inch of your skin.    
  
He was walking over, star-like eyes flashing at you before your sight blurred once more.  
  
You tried to blink away the muggy fog that glazed over your eyes, dismayed that you could no longer see and now completely at the mercy of this monster.  It was one thing to watch the days go by in silence, far from one another without speaking, but to have him come towards you with the intent of touching?  
  
No, you didn't want him anywhere near you.  You didn't want more harsh grips or hissing whispers before he sunk his vicious teeth into your body.  No more feather-light kisses along your neck while holding you close, no more gentle caresses or mesmerizing beauty only angels dreamed of.  No more dazzling, silver eyes that could coerce you of your darkest desires or his deep, heavenly voice that caused your body to tremble in both delight and fear.  
  
No more, _no more, **no more!!!!**_  
  
You coughed and felt a bubbling at the back of your throat, knowing you were close to losing everything that was in your stomach, but was still worried more over the monster then your sickness.   
  
A small, ghost of a touch brushed your cheek, the contact frightening you and causing you to flinch.  You felt the cold digits no more as you did your best to keep the demon from grabbing you, fearing he would only make your pain and suffering worse.  There was a moment of stillness in the room, interrupted only by your occasional cough and soft wheezing at the result of your congested lungs.  You tried to right your vision again, but everything was so blurry and out of focus that you weren't even sure if you were going to stay awake much longer.  
  
Another brush, this one with more intent to touch with little to no regards to your feelings.  You felt the tips of his fingers drag along your cheek, going upwards towards your forehead where he pressed his palm down despite you trying to pull away.  He held little interest in your fear as he kept his hand in place, unmoving for a few moments before he smoothed away some strands of hair sticking to your brow.    
  
You could only curl up more and hope he'd leave you alone to finally die so you could get out of this nightmare.  
  
Then you felt the blankets being pulled away, dragging along your body slowly and allowing frigid air to hit you.  You trembled and felt completely vulnerable the moment you felt the tickling fur rest at your feet, your weak form now exposed to this demon to do with as he pleased.  
  
Maybe it was better that you couldn't see, then at least you wouldn't know what was coming as he killed you.  
  
You felt your bed dip, alerting you that he was getting on the mattress and drawing nearer.  It was becoming harder to breathe and you weren't sure if it was because you were getting worse or that he was so much closer now.  You could practically feel him hover over you, staring you down before reaching around to touch your back.    
  
You tensed and hugged yourself even tighter as he pressed his palm on the left shoulder blade and waited, his hand emitting a cool touch that seemed to bleed through your nightgown and make your already freezing body shiver even more.  Just having him so near made anxiety vibrate in your chest like a nest of angry hornets, buzzing and flitting about and only adding to the nausea that consumed your body.  
  
He moved his hand to the right shoulder blade and held it there, staying still for a moment as he seemed to feel for something before moving it again to rest on your lower back.  You both waited in absolute silence, your heart jerking fearfully in your chest while he continued to loom over you like a wildcat who pinned their prey.  Forever and a day seemed to pass before he said something softly under his breath, annoyance and anger vibrating in his voice and making you nervous about what had upset him.  
  
Suddenly, he grabbed your wrists and tugged them away from your middle, forcing you to uncurl from your fetal position and making the pain feel so much worse.  You didn't have the energy to even cry out as he turned you onto your back and pulled you closer to him.  You blinked wildly as you tried to get your eyesight back while you felt a hand lift your head and place it on something hard and firm.  It took you a moment to feel it out, wondering what you were laying on until you felt the movement of muscles and shifting of legs to realize he had laid your head in his lap.  
  
You coughed and your torso heaved violently, your throat seeming like it was about to close up before your lungs popped like balloons in your chest.  It hurt so much and you wanted it to stop but continued to face more anguish as a cold hand placed itself between your breasts, his long fingers pushing hard against your body to keep you from wiggling away.  
  
Brain numb and muscles tensed, you felt the long fingers push against the thin fabric of your dress as the palm traveled downwards, feeling for something you couldn't see and touching what you didn't want to be touched.  You had expected his hand to move towards your heart, to stroke and tease before sending racks of pain throughout your body until you passed out again; but he kept moving downwards, stopping every few seconds to touch a twitching muscle or rub a throbbing part of your stomach in a soothing motion.  
  
You couldn't help but writhe beneath him, still unable to see or speak as your legs moved and twisted in the bedsheets as your body tried to decide if you were afraid or simply eager for more attention.  
  
Traveling, shifting, feeling, brushing and pinching, he moved his fingers all over your abdomen, gentle and tender as the pain and nausea continued to wash over you with wave after wave of torture.  The bottom of your nightgown slowly rose up your legs as you continued to wiggle under his caress, cold air hitting more and more skin as you fought up nausea, pain, and the mesmerizing demon with the curious hand.  You found your stomach start to pool with heat and your face feel flush, the only color that's blossomed on your skin in days.  You wanted to whisper at him, beg and plead for him to.... _what?_  
  
Stop?  Keep going?  What would be better?  Should you try to escape so you could face the pain alone or endure this man as he seemed divert your mind from the ache and more on his touch?  Damn him, what did he want from you?  Couldn't he just end it already and leave you in peace?  
  
His fingers reached to brush the right part of your abdomen, a bit firmer this time as his whole palm pressed down which sent a series of tingles throughout the lower half of your body and making you arch delicately.  He stopped for a moment, making you believe he was watching you closely now as you rode out the strange wave of emotions that caused your legs to tremble and your body to grow hot.  You threw your head sideways as your toes curled and you started to pant, wishing you could just pass out already so you could sleep through this chaotic mess of a situation.    
  
Just when you thought you had a break, that you were numb to the pain and sickness raging war on your body and this devious man was finally going to stop his unwanted strokes, you felt him move in once more.  One by one, he placed a finger on the exact spot that made you writhe like a lust-starved woman and one by one, you felt electricity shoot across your body with each digit that seemed to press into you.  
  
His thumb was first, gentle and sweet like a attentive lover and choosing to lay right under your bellybutton, you felt it bend against the fabric of your dress gently, moving a fold aside so he could lay it down flat.  Next was his index finger, stretching and laying lazily that seemed to soothe and relax as your stomach muscles unwound.  His middle finger pressed down firm, but nicely, as if urging you not to move so it could enjoy your stillness for just a moment then you felt his ring finger do the same as his middle; a sturdy and stern reminder that you must stay still while his pinky quickly followed in a light tap.  
  
You took one breath, two, then three and nothing happened; just his hand and the heel of his palm now resting down flat on your lower part of your stomach and making you ride out a wave of desire.  You tucked your chin in your chest and felt your hips twitch, feeling intensely hot as more sweat formed on your brow.  Though his touches did nothing but make you squirm, at least it eased some of the burden of dying.    
  
This thought didn't allow you time to react.  
  
An incision so quick, so **sharp** into your stomach and you didn't feel a thing...at first.  
  
You vision returned as soon as you felt your blood drip down your hip, no longer a blur as you saw every little detail before you like you had your eyesight all along; but this was only because the first intense crash of pain rocked your body so much that a sick haze over your eyes could not compare.  You looked down, eyes wide and mouth gaping as you saw the man's fingers pierce your flesh, digging and twisting past your nightgown, through thin layers of skin, and deep into the muscles beneath.  
  
You watched with morbid fascination as blood oozed out the gash and spilled down onto the white sheets, staining and pooling around you quickly and making you feel lightheaded.  His fingers burrowed and moved around the inside of your stomach with only the force of his fingers and knife-like nails, searching and dredging through the flesh and blood until he grabbed what he was looking for.  
  
Then he pulled, hard and fast as something snapped and quickly sprung in his bloody hand as he brought it up to his face.  You kept your gaze your wound for just a moment, wondering if it just hurt so much now that you couldn't feel anything anymore or if you were finally losing your mind.  Probably both.  
  
You looked up at the demon, brain too numb to comprehend what was happening as he studied the object in his hand, the.... _creature_ twisting and squirming for freedom just as you had been doing moments before.  It was hard to see in the darkness of your room, but you thought it looked a lot like a leech, plump and fat after a big meal of human blood and disease.  
  
The demon's upper lip twitched, fang glinting dangerously as he sneered in disgust at the creature in his hand.  
  
His fingers twitched and his hand closed tightly, a loud squeak penetrating the air before a light _pop_ followed.  He squeezed the leech so hard that it flattened under his strength, ruby red trickling between his fingers and down his palm where it stained the sleeve of his shirt.  
  
For some reason you had no time to feel disgusted as you tore away your gaze from his hand to his eyes, seeing an intense dislike shining there as he tossed the awful creature away like trash.  
  
Then his gaze turned to you, the silver orbs already compelling you to never look away for as long as you lived.  You were still bleeding out on your bed from the hole in your stomach, you continued to stare awe-struck at the very man who gave you that wound, and you waited with eager patience as he brought his other, clean hand to your brow to brush away more of your hair.  
  
You didn't feel sick anymore nor did you feel the pain that throbbed in your belly.  You were only aware of him and his sparkling eyes, his stern gaze and his gentle, caring touch.  His fingers felt warm, no longer that cold, deathly caress that had probed your body, but heated and comfortable.  You found yourself leaning into his palm and almost didn't catch his long sigh.  
  
Then he covered your eyes with his hand, temporarily blinding you as he leaned down to hover over your face, breath fanning across your cheeks and lips in warm puffs.  
  
_"Wake up."_  
  
  
  
And your eyes fluttered open to see nothing but warm sunshine, chirping birds, a humming Marguerite over by your vanity, and Abigail's uncovered mirror placed in front of the closet door.  
  
You sat up slowly, eyes trained on your reflection as you waited for something to happen.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Nothing but an ill looking girl staring right back at you with bags under her eyes and a paleness to her skin that seemed to make her glow like a porcelain doll.  You brought your hand to one of your gaunt cheeks and frowned, feeling how much weight you've lost in such a...short amount of time?  Long?  You weren't sure.  
  
You looked down at your body and found that your dress hung off you lightly, as if you lost some of your baby fat and was now more defined, but also sickly slender.  You pulled away the fur blankets to find no hole in your stomach, no bloody mess on the sheets, and no incision made from a demon with dagger-like nails.  You even touched the space where he'd forced his way in, feeling nothing but a smooth expanse of skin with no trace of a scar.  
  
Something shattered and jerked you out of your thoughts, making you look around for the source until your eyes landed on Marguerite who was staring at you in awe, a wash bowl broken at her feet and a wet rag in hand.  
  
"L-Lady ________!!  You're awake!!"  
  
The next thing you knew, you were being held tight into the blonde woman's embrace, her strong arms wrapped so strongly around you and her body heaving with sobs as she buried her face into your hair.  You felt her hand rub your back and her form rock back and forth, as if you were the one sobbing and having a fit.  
  
"Marguerite?"  
  
She took a deep breath and pulled away, wiping her tears away while also giving you the grandest of smiles.  "We've been so worried."  
  
You frowned and lifted your hand to your head, finding it took a bit of effort to do such a simple task and just dropping it halfway as you gave up.  "How...long was I asleep?"  
  
The blonde reached forward and brushed your hair from your face, using the washcloth she still held to wipe away at the sweat.  "Two weeks...we feared you wouldn't make it."  
  
Two weeks?  
  
_Two weeks??!!_  
  
Marguerite grabbed you as you started to sway, steadying you by gripping your arms and waiting for you to calm down.  
  
"H-How...?"  
  
"We've been feeding you liquids the best we could, sometimes you took it and other times you didn't."  The blonde let go when it seemed you weren't about to faint and continued on.  "After three days we called a doctor and he gave you some medicine that seemed to be working."  
  
The man in the plague mask...yes, you remember that.  "Seemed to be?"  
  
"Well...last night, you had a horrible coughing fit and was curled up so tight that we feared something was terribly wrong."  
  
You frowned, disturbed that she was describing exactly how it went before the stranger pulled a creature from your stomach.  
  
"But after a while you suddenly rolled over and threw up and then went back to sleep."  
  
Nodding and feeling slightly disgusted you pushed away at the covers only for your maid to force them back on.  
  
"No, you have to stay in bed.  You have to fully recover before we let you go walking around."  
  
"I-I just want some fresh air...please, Marguerite."  
  
The blonde stood, "How about I open the balcony?  You get fresh air and stay in bed?"  
  
You shifted, legs feeling much too weak to handle these many heavy blankets as their weight seemed like a thousand tons.  "I'd like that..."  
  
Smiling, Marguerite strode towards the glass doors and swung them open, a light breeze wafting through and causing your bed's canopy drapes to flutter.  You closed your eyes felt the wind brush over your skin, embracing and holding you like a close friend while it twirled your hair between it's airy fingers.  You sighed and felt your shoulders relax for a moment as your lungs took in the mountain air greedily, thankful they weren't congested or heavy in your chest like a stone.    
  
After a few seconds of bliss, you opened your eyes and found them landing on Abigail's mirror, standing exactly where it had been before you shoved it away in your closet.  
  
A frown formed on your face as you stared at the antique mirror, wondering who had pulled it out and taken away the sheet.  Just as you were about to ask Marguerite this the door to your room opened and another woman walked in with a tray.  She was another blonde beauty, her long hair in two braids that hung nicely behind her back with tufts hair at the end that seemed to curl up like a ball.  The woman even had a few stray strands that also curled on top of her head, making her look a little less fashion forward and more strange.  She wore the standard black and white uniform and had a set of pretty blue eyes that were kept downcast on the food she carried.  
  
"Conis," Marguerite beamed, gesturing at the girl to come in.  "Hurry, hurry!  Lady ______ woke up!"  
  
The blonde seemed to jerk slightly at the news but kept her eyes down, looking worried she was about to spill everything on it and thus prevent you from eating.  She bit her lower lip nervously and walked very slowly towards your vanity, stepping exactly one foot in front of the other and stopping every two steps to make sure nothing fell off.  
  
It took you a moment before you fully recognized who the girl was, a new servant your father had hired about a month before you left for the castle.  She had worked for an old woman most her life and was left out in the cold when her mistress finally passed away.  None of the relatives needed her and she was to be lost to the streets until your father came in and hired her as another maid, having been a friendly neighbor of the older woman for quite a while.  You haven't had the chance to interact with her much, but she seemed nice from the few times you've spoken to her and you heard she collected seashells; no bad person ever collected such cute things like seashells.  
  
She finally placed the tray down and looked up, gentle smile gracing her face and making her strange hair suddenly look dazzling and perfect.  "I'm so glad you're awake, m'Lady.  I hope you don't mind soup today...unless you want me to make something else?"  
  
"Soup is fine."  
  
Looking pleased, she went about to breaking apart some of the bread on the tray while Marguerite went to open more windows.  "The doctor should be back tomorrow with more supplies, but he'll want to give you a check-up now that you're awake."  
  
You let Conis place the tray in your lap and picked up your spoon, utensil trembling in your hand as you tried to steady yourself.  "Okay..."  
  
You willed your hand to stop and tried to bring the liquid to your lips, frowning as most of it spilled over the sides and left you nothing but a few tiny drops.  Conis shifted anxiously next to you as you dropped your spoon on the second try then cleared her throat.  
  
"I don't mind feeding you, m'Lady."  
  
You blushed, now feeling both women's' eyes on you as you gripped your unsteady hand in the other.  "That would be...lovely, thank you."  
  
Marguerite watched with worry as Conis picked up the spoon, her steady grip making you envious as she brought the hot, yellow liquid up to your lips for you to sip.  You felt the wondrous fluids slip down your throat along with soft vegetables and noodles and sighed softly.  You would have felt embarrassed at being fed like a child, but right now, you just wanted to enjoy the first proper meal you've had in two weeks.  
  
  
  
The first thing you did after the women had left was get out of bed.  You were determined to walk and move, to feel the strength in your legs and the swing in your arms that made everything seem normal.  You needed to...to dance!  Or just spin around so you could remember that you were **alive**.  
  
This resulted in you falling to the floor as soon as you stood then spending a good twenty minutes gaining some semblance of balance before you were stumbling to your feet.  You held your arms out wide so you could grab hold of something in case you fell to the floor again, but once you felt you could stay standing did you lower them gradually.  
  
You smiled and fidgeted a few times, toes curling on the cool stone floor and the hem of your nightgown gently billowing from the wind that traveled through your balcony.  You felt a bubble of laughter escape your throat before you took a step forward, then another and another, energy and adrenaline bursting through you and making you feel like you could climb every mountain in view.  
  
Well, not really...  
  
Instead, you decided you really wanted to leave the tower.  You've felt like you've lived in it for most your life now, like a trapped princess waiting for her knight in shining armor to come rescue her from the dragon.  Except there was no knight....and you were pretty sure the dragon was a demon who suckled blood from helpless maidens.   
  
So you put on some simple shoes and a light dress, nothing that felt too heavy or would hinder you in your steps.  You also made sure this dress had a pocket, perfectly sizable to carry a certain jar that felt light and comforting in your hands.  Once the heart was tucked safely away you walked to the little steps that led to your door and paused, looking over at the mirror sitting in place and pointing it's reflection right at your bed.  You blinked and kept your gaze on it as you moved slowly down the stairs, keeping your eyes trained on it until it was out of sight and you were opening the door to leave your room.  
  
You felt like a heavy weight lifted from your shoulders once you left your room and took in a deep breath.  You smiled and prepared to take your first step downward from this crazy tower, only to stop and think a moment.   
  
Marguerite would become upset if she found you'd gotten out of bed and went to roam the grounds, especially since she had just urged you to stay in bed until you got your strength back completely.  Normally, you would have obeyed her, lowering your head meekly and accepting her word as law before you gazed about in boredom.  
  
But today...today you wished to do what you wanted.  To walk and see the sun while fresh air invaded your lungs and the smell of lush grass fill your nose; to look up at the sky from a garden and not a tower that seemed like a prison.  Not to mention, this was also probably one of the few times you would get to be outside in daylight, after running around at night for so long and fearing for your life...  
  
You'd just forgotten how to be normal.  
  
So, you _sneakily_ made your way down the stairs.  Tip toeing down and down and down, pausing each time you thought you heard someone walking up or strain to hear an echo of a voice.  Each time you were satisfied when you heard nothing and continued onwards.  
  
Once you reached the door to the grand hall, you _sneakily_ cracked it open to peek out, seeing one person walk from one side of the hall to the other before going through a door that led to the kitchens.  You waited patiently for a few minutes before deeming it okay to move onward.  You did this all the way to the front courtyard of the castle, sneaking through the great hall, hiding behind pillars avoiding workers who moved around the halls and even avoiding Marguerite who was making her way into the castle.    
  
You ran into no one as you finally made it outside and felt the wonderful air kiss at your smiling cheeks, feeling more excited about this than anything in your life.  The front courtyard seemed so much better than the back on at the moment, with no creepy chapels or dead gardens to run through as a corpse chased you down.  
  
No, all there was was a large building to house some of the workers and staff, the large gates that led to the bridge built over the bottomless chasm, and the stables.  
  
Speaking of the stables.  Horses.  Horses were nice and alive and they made you happy.  So happy that you wanted, no, needed to pet a horse.   _ **Right now.**_   It was like the little girl in you was begging to hug an animal, to feel it comfort you so you could forget everything for just a few sweet moments.  You haven't actually been into horses since you were thirteen, but by god, you really needed an animal that wouldn't judge you or question if you were okay.  You wanted that mutual contact of trust, knowing one being wasn't going to hurt the other or use them for food as they bit harshly at your neck and leave you for dead.  
  
You felt your chest shudder and you placed a hand over the heart in your pocket, taking a deep breath to calm yourself before walking slowly towards the stables so you could fulfill your childish wish for safety and comfort of ponies that ate apples from your hands.  Feeling more relaxed as you neared the little building, you stepped inside and grinned as you looked for the closest horse, already smelling the heavy scent of hay and leather wafting about.  
  
But there were no horses in sight, each stall completely empty and gates opened wide and untouched.  You frowned and looked around as you stepped inside, wondering if someone had taken them out for some kind of errand or perhaps a run?  Though, using all five horses at once was a bit of a stretch...  
  
You stopped by each stall and looked inside, frowning when you saw no recent signs of an animal living in it's space before moving onto the next one.  Each stall empty and void of any living creature, making you wonder when was the last time one had been there.  
  
It wasn't until the second to last stall did you stop, confusion and shock on your face as you noticed something odd about this one.  You stepped past the gate and walked inside, eyes trained on the back wooden wall of the pen where hay was piled up slightly in the corners.  You bent down right in front of the wall and traced your fingers over the long, wide marks left in the wood.  
  
They dug in deep, their trails slightly jagged as a set of three swept over several places in the wood.  You could press three of your fingers together and still just barely reach the same thickness as these imprints.  What was frightening though was that they looked like they were made by a large animal with very, _very_ sharp claws.  
  
Shouldn't the castle gates be able to keep these things out?  Surely something so big that could leave a slash so devastating wouldn't be able to clime the metal fence or sneak in through a little burrow like a fox.  No...this thing was huge...perhaps even the size of a bear?  
  
You gulped and pulled your hand away, heart pounding erratically in your chest as you stared at the multiple scars left in the fresh wood, suddenly noticing the stains of deep red dried in the splinters.  You stood slowly, eyes flitting from each mark as you decided that you would pet horses another time, that you needed to go back inside before the same creature decided to come back.  
  
Unfortunately, you didn't get very far because as soon as you turned to run out, you tripped over something.  Something long and thin that cut into your ankles and made you fall forward, something you hadn't noticed the first time you walked in because you probably stepped over it without a second thought.  You found yourself falling onto the ground right inside the stall and landing roughly on your elbows, hay and dirt quickly clinging to your arms and dress as you tried to sit up and look to see what tripped you.  
  
But you had no chance because you felt a heavy object land on you, forcing you to lay back down as it covered you completely and entangled around your legs with ease.  That was when you realized you'd just tripped over a wire, a trap that made a net to fall from the ceiling and weigh down on your weak, fragile body and tie around your legs during your frantic struggle.  Then you looked up and saw someone coming at you with a pitch fork, yelling loudly while you gasped in shock as the tipped metal drew close to your face, ready to pierce you like a caught animal hunting the chickens.  
  
So, you screamed and covered your face, wishing you died in bed instead of getting impaled by some farmer.  
  
At least it was a beautiful day...


End file.
